Not quite sure where this chapter came from! It wasn't in the plan but when I sat down to write this morning this happened!

Chapter 17

Sunday and Sex

There's a delirious kind of happy realisation that comes when waking to somebody's touch. All senses seem heightened as the mind is still clouded with sleep.

Elsie muses on this very fact as she wakes to Charles' hands on her body. Her skin seems to hum with pleasure at his touch. She's aware he's lying beside her, propped up on one elbow watching her. She tries not to think about the faces she's pulling, or the noises coming from her mouth. But instead focuses on where his fingers are, and what they're doing, and how good it feels.

He seems to be testing out how her responses, how she moans to different sensations, where he should press lightly or with more force, where she's extra sensitive.

She hasn't opened her eyes yet. Neither has spoken. And somehow that only makes it all the more pleasurable. Communication without words. He's speechless anyhow, watching her that way.

She stretches her arm out above her, touches the coolness of the wall with her hand, shifts one leg up – bent at the knee – and the fingers that are sliding against her dip inside, testing, waiting.

When her breathing deepens and she's rolling against him she breathes his name and hears the smile in his response, "Yes…" And that's all she can think to say, that one syllable, simplistic word conveying so much joy, so much affection, so much harmony between them. "Yes, Charles. Yes."

She thinks she hears him gasp at the same time she does when her body tightens, curling in upon itself before flooding her with ecstasy.

She groans in delight, wiggling against the soft, warm mattress. She reaches for his hand, ceases his touch, too much now, too sensitive. For long seconds she's content to melt into the welcoming bed, his body alive next to hers. She can hear the shallow breaths coming from him, the restraint.

Finally she opens her eyes, turns her face to his on the pillow and offers him a crooked, satisfied smile.

"That was very nice." She says, her voice low, overflowing with fulfilment.

He smiles, moves his mouth down to hers and the kiss is full of possibilities, of his need.

She slides her hand down his chest, over his stomach, to his throbbing erection and he groans deeply into her mouth when she touches him, sliding her fingers down, up, circling until he's overwhelmed and rolling on top of her.

She's not usually the type to get there twice so quickly but he's enjoying himself and making love doesn't always have to result in earth-shattering orgasms. Sometimes it's as much about being together, sharing the small pleasures along with the intimacy. So she's surprised when her body responds so forcefully to him sliding inside of her. Deep and whole and she feels tremors low in her stomach that tells her this isn't just for him.

It's slow, unbelievably so when she knows he's so far gone. And when she lifts her hips, rolls her pelvis, he gasps involuntarily, followed by a full and deep groan, low in his throat. She claws at his shoulders, because she's coming so fast and it's unexpected and wonderful, and he thrusts against her, once, twice, his hips powerful, until he's growling her name and it's only the second thing he's said since they woke.

She's sorry for making him come so fast when he was trying so hard to hold back, but only momentarily so. His face is in the crook of her neck and she wraps her arms around him holding him close. When she giggles she's not sure where it comes from and he lifts his head up, a confused expression on his face.

"That was very nice too." She says, sliding her index finger down his nose.

He smiles, eyes dark and twinkling with pleasure, "More than nice."

"Yes. More than nice."

He dips his head, his mouth following the freckles across her chest, he loves this – the softness of her skin here, the fact he gets to touch it. The way the shades of skin alter, brown on her neck and upper chest where she's exposed to the sun, down to the very pale white of her breasts, the rosy flush of her nipples. His mouth makes the most of being in that position and circles one, his tongue tasting her.

"Did I ever tell you that you have the most amazing boobs I've ever seen?" He mumbles. "And touched. And held."

"Ah, Charles…" she chuckles at this touch, at his words, "We'll never get out of this squeaky bed." She gasps.

"Good." He mumbles against her skin. "I want to stay here forever loving you."

She threads a hand into his hair, "I'd exhaust you."

"It's a nice way to go." He moves against her again, keenly aware of his weight resting on her, he tries to balance on his arms. "In fact, when my times comes – let's say at least another twenty years or so – can it be making love to you?"

"That's hardly a pleasant thought for me, having you die on top of me."

He laughs, kisses her neck, "No. I suppose not."

"And what do you mean, twenty years or so, I'd only be 71."

"I'd be 77."

"So, at least another thirty years." She says softly, her arms circling his shoulders tenderly.

A lifetime couldn't be enough, he thinks, but he returns her smile and kisses her again.

"I have to go shower," she finally says.

"Don't. Don't shower."

She wonders if that's because he doesn't want her to move or because he wants her to smell like him all day, like this, sex.

"I was hoping you'd take me out for breakfast to that place you like and I can't go smelling of sweat and sex."

"I like how you smell."

"Other customers might not. Besides, I don't want people knowing what we've been doing all night."

"I have no issues with it."

She laughs again, "I'm sure you don't." She pushes against him. "Come on, I have a real liking for brioche and fruit, didn't you say they did that?"

"They do, and it's fantastic, they serve lemon curd mascarpone with it."

She rolls out from under him, leaving him collapsed on the bed. "Oh, it may be even nicer than the sex. I'm going to test out your new shower."

He's chuckling at her as he buries his face in the pillow.

She's very aware of being in the clothes from the previous night and pulls her jacket across her self-consciously as she waits outside the newsagents.

"Ready," he says, a pile of papers tucked under his arm. "What's wrong?"

"I feel very exposed, everyone will know I haven't changed this morning, or been home." She tucks her arm through his free one.

"How will they possibly know?"

"Because I'm wearing a gold, sparkly top and very high heels."

He slows his walk to accommodate her.

"Maybe they'll just think I'm dating a very glamorous woman."

"Oh goodness, you go here every Sunday don't you."

"Not every Sunday – most Sundays."

Another of his traditions she's now becoming part of. "They'll know I've spent the night…"

"And think me a very, very lucky man."

She smiles, "Or me a lucky woman."

They take his favourite table by the window and she scans the menu as he opens his paper. It's still early and there are only a few people in and she soon begins to relax as she watches them – an elderly couple reading the morning news, a young woman with two children who are colouring pictures, and it's relaxed and easy to fit into his life.

She wonders momentarily if that's what she's doing – fitting into his life – has she moved from playing one role to assuming another? She feels more herself than she ever has. That she can be herself and that he loves her for that, not for some role he's hoping she can play.

Joe always wanted 'something', and she always felt like she never quite knew what that was, that she could never be good enough. Maybe that's how he wanted her to feel.

She shakes the thought away quickly; there isn't a place for him here. She woke feeling joyful and settled and she wants to hold onto that.

"So, I was thinking about the dreaded bed." She says, focussing on something else.

"Hmm…" He turns the page on his paper.

"Charles," she reaches for his hand and he puts the paper down, focussing on her. Watching how she caresses his fingers, turns over his hand to stroke his palm. "If I'm moving in we don't have to buy a new bed, we could just use mine."

"I suppose we could, yours is comfy." He folds his fingers around hers, "And you're actually moving in." He says, a hint of glee to his voice.

"And I actually am." She smiles. "It's only a week until half term, we can do it then. I think we'll need to organise some kind of storage unit, all my stuff is not going to fit in your flat."

He's nodding, "I can pack some of my things up too, put them in there so there's more room for yours."

"How sweet you are."

"Give and take, give and take." He teases. "And don't forget I have another floor that I don't use."

"Mrs Hughes!" A young voice exclaims interrupting them and she drops Charles' hand, looking up quickly.

"Emily. I didn't know you worked here."

"For ages now, I've never seen you here."

"It's my first visit. You probably know Mr Carson though."

"Yes, every Sunday, poached eggs on brown."

He smiles, "And that's what I'll be having, she's good."

"I take Emily for A-level History," Elsie points out.

"And is she a good teacher?" Charles asks.

"She's fab, she made us these brownies at Christmas and they were the best things ever."

"The mark of a really good teacher!" Elsie laughs.

"So, what can I get you Miss?"

"I think I'm going to have tea and this wonderfully sounding Brioche."

"That's totally gorgeous, my mum makes me take a piece home for her every week." She says scribbling on her pad.

"I'm looking forward to it."

"I'll go get your tea," Emily says. "Nice to see Miss."

Charles raises his eyebrows at her look, "What?" He asks.

"Nothing. I hope she doesn't work out I'm in last night's clothes." She blushes, thinking about what they were doing an hour ago.

"I'm sure she won't."

"It's an odd feeling to consider the fact your students might think of you as 'having sex'." She whispers the last part. "What were we talking about?"

"Beds!" He laughs.

"Oh, stop it." She leans back in her chair, "My only concern is Anna, she planned to come home for summer. I have to give a months notice anyhow on my flat and I suppose I could just keeping paying the rent on it so she has somewhere to stay until she decides what she's doing."

"As I said, I have an attic room, it's full of my mum's stuff that I keep meaning to sort through but it's there and it's a good, big room."

"I know but I'm not sure she'll want to live with us." She leant forward again, lowering her voice, "And besides, I rather like the idea of us living alone, especially in the beginning. You can't walk around naked if my daughter's living with us."

"Who says I do that?!" He chuckles.

"Just one of my little fantasies."

"I haven't forgotten about the sunflowers…" He said pointedly.

"Oh, goodness, I'd forgot I told you that."

They were laughing when Emily brought over a large pot of tea and extra hot water.

"Thank you dear," Charles said pouring.

"Are you looking forward to the prom?" Elsie asked the young girl.

"Yes. Going for my tan tomorrow night, so no doubt I'll be orange on Tuesday but probably just the right shade by Wednesday night."

Elsie smiled, "And your dress?"

"It's kind of fitted here, like a bodice, with these beads on it. And it has a skirt that goes like this," she showed how it stuck out. "Comes to just above my knee and its sort of pinky purple." She enthused.

"Sounds wonderful."

"You're coming aren't you Miss?"

"I am, and I'm still being pursued about this music thing."

"Aw you should do it, it'll be great. You'll be a total legend."

"Hmm, we'll see. Mr Carson will be there, perhaps he could sing."

"I think not." He said deadpan and they both laughed at him.

"I better go do some work, see you tomorrow. Done my essay, did it yesterday, it's pretty good…" She said as she backed away.

"I'm sure it is."

"She's a lovely girl," Charles said as he sipped his tea.

"She is. Most of them are, it's very rare we have any that aren't. This media representation of them all as selfish thugs is a myth."

"And you're a legend." He quipped, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Well, I already knew that." She boasted.

"What's your dress like Mrs Hughes?"

"Blue. I'll need you to fasten me into it because it's tight around the bodice and I probably won't be able to eat or breathe."

He chuckled, "Could be an issue! I need to try on my tux, not worn it in years."

"Maybe you can model for me later. We need to talk about money too, as romantic as that is."

"Money,"

"Rent."

"I own the place, I don't pay rent."

"No, but I should, I want to contribute."

He frowned, he didn't like discussing practicalities, money and bills – it wasn't his way.

"Don't pull that face, I should pay towards the bills."

He waved his hand, "they just take it from my bank account."

They quieted as their food was brought over and he focussed on his breakfast.

"Don't avoid the discussion," she said. "We'll look at the bills and split it and I'll give you a cheque every month."

"Alright, alright."

She chuckled, "You're a funny thing at times."

"I just don't want it to be awkward."

"It won't be if we handle it like adults."

He swallowed his first bite, realisation hitting, "I've lived alone for almost twenty years."

"Oh god, this could be a nightmare. You do realise we'll have to share space."

He nodded, "I'm not stupid. The flat's spacious though – kitchen, sitting room, two bedrooms, you can put things in the spare bedroom."

"A wardrobe I should think." She said in between eating. "And we should discuss the room next to the kitchen."

"My reading room."

"Yes…" This was delicate, how to ask him without offending? How to gently point out it would make more sense as a dining room? That she'd like to have guests over and entertain as a couple and that space would be perfect.

"Perhaps we should put a table in there." He suddenly said and she looked at her plate to avoid laughing. "I could always shift my leather chair to that attic room if you're sure Anna won't want it. And my bookcases."

"I'm sure there'll still be room for them in the dining room." She says gently. "And that Grandfather clock."

"Ahh well, I was thinking of putting that in the shop when it's done, I've picked out a space for it, I'll show you when we get back."

"And you're sure you'll be okay up there? I don't want you to feel pushed out of your own home?"

"Our home now," he makes a point of saying, proudly. "And I'll be fine, there's a good view from up there and it means I have to clear out mother's boxes, which I've put off for too many years."

"You are very lovely." She says, grazing her fingers across his before refilling their teacups.

"I know. I can be moody in the morning though and about the time I'm filling in my Tax Returns – just so you know."

"Noted. And you were far from moody this morning."

"That's because I had something 'nice' to wake up to."

Elsie watched as Beryl dished up cottage pie onto five plates.

"I'm sorry for dropping in like this." She said, fiddling with the corner of a place mat on the table. "I was on my way home and I needed to chat."

"Don't be silly, you know you're welcome here any time. You're sure you don't want any of this?"

"No, I'm fine, I had a big breakfast."

"I bet you did, you minx!" Beryl said waving her spoon at her. "No need to make the rest of us feel jealous."

Elsie blushed despite being quite used to Beryl's sense of humour. "Very funny. So, you haven't answered my question."

"What was it?"

"Do you think it's too soon?" She asked apprehensively.

Beryl breathed deeply, licking gravy from her finger. "I'm not sure you want me to answer that for you – you can answer it yourself. When did you start dating?"

"August."

"And it's now…?"

"A few days off June."

Beryl shrugged. "So…"

"I know, I know technically it's not too soon. Logically it isn't. But he's lived alone for sooo long."

"The poor man's been mooning after you for years."

"I'm not sure he has."

"He bloody well has. Kids!" She suddenly shouted and a trail of children traipsed into the room taking their plates and disappearing again. "This is family lunch." Beryl smirked.

"I'm interrupting it."

"No, they're all hooked on watching some afternoon film, Bill's in there with them. Now, where were we?"

"I'm sorry, I keep bothering you with all my relationship woes and you have all this going on."

"I like it, makes me feel like I'm in some American sitcom."

"What if I'm jumping into this because I'm used to having security?"

Beryl shook her head, "Joe was hardly security sweetheart, no offence."

"I guess not."

"And you've lived alone now for two years. It's not like you left one bed for another."

"No, but even though I've been divorced for that long it's not like it's been simple with Joe, it's not like it was a clean break. I almost slept with him not quite two months since."

"But you didn't. And you walked away and you haven't seen or spoken to him since. And that's good. Elsie, you know me, I'm nothing if not honest."

"Often to the point of being rude."

"Well then. Do you love Joe?"

She gives herself a second then shakes her head, "No. Not for years. And it's taken me since last summer to recognise that."

Beryl closed her eyes, "Finally. Believe me Charles loves you a thousand times more than he ever did, and I don't mean to hurt you by pointing that out."

"It's alright, I know you're right."

"Well, then, stop worrying and dissecting. If the two of you feel it's time to move in together than damn well move in and screw what everybody else thinks."

"Do you think it's too soon?" Charles asked apprehensively.

He'd gone to see Richard but found Isobel home alone.

He twisted the glass of juice in his hand; sitting in the back garden with her in the peace and quiet, it was a far cry from the previous week.

"Why are you asking me that?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Because I need to say the words out loud."

"Do you think it's too soon?"

He closed his eyes, remembered Dubai – how he'd wanted to ask her then, to come home and live with her. Then he remembered how he felt when she trampled all over his heart. And the night in her flat when she'd finally opened up to him. And last night, when there was nowhere in the universe he would rather have been than cuddled up with her.

"No." He said. "Honestly Izzy, if I thought she'd say yes I'd marry her tomorrow." He drained his juice. "And I've never wanted to ask any woman that question."

"I know. You don't think she'd say yes?"

"No. She's not there yet, living together is a huge step."

"It is."

"And I think it's taken a lot for her to get to this point – her husband was a real bastard you know." He glanced up from the table to her face. "She'd hate to think I've told you that."

"I would never say anything, you know that."

"I worry sometimes she's still hung up on him. Well, not him, but not free of it, not completely. I know I'm not a rebound, but there's a lot there she hasn't confronted yet. Do you think I'm doing enough? I just try to be patient. To be her support when she gets to the point where she'll break down or reveal more. You're smart with these things Izzy, am I doing enough?"

"Patience is a wonderful attribute Charles, and you have it in bucket loads. Relationships are never straightforward, not one, but if you have love and friendship and trust at the heart of it then you can't go far wrong." She leant forward in her chair and squeezed her oldest friend's hand. "And you're so damned happy," she smiled. "You were gleeful when you turned up in my kitchen today and said you were moving in together. I think that's the answer to your original question."

He was smiling when his phone rang; apologetic he dug it from his jacket pocket, which hung loosely on the back of the chair.

"Hi sweetheart."

"Hi. Where are you?" She asked as she walked to her car, her phone pressed to her face.

"Erm, I'm at Richard and Isobel's, I'm just talking to Isobel. Where are you?"

"Just about to drive home from Beryl's. Are you staying there?"

"No, I didn't plan to for much longer. Why?"

"Come over. I want to see you."

She meets him at the door to her flat, kissing him before he's even inside, he kicks the door closed behind him and her hands are on his face, her body tight against his.

"Take me to bed," she whispers and he easily lifts her into his arms and carries her through to the bedroom.

They make love in the late afternoon with the spring sunshine on their skin and the curtains blowing in the breeze.

After, he lies on his side watching her, his fingers sliding up and down her spine, and she has her face turned to him on the pillow.

"Tell me about your first time," she murmurs. "I bet you were just a kid."

"I went to a Catholic school remember. We were well behaved."

She chuckled, "Oh, I'm sure you were."

"I was sixteen."

"Ah! So young! I'd hate to think the sixteen year olds I teach are having sex."

"It was bloody awful."

"I bet you came in about ten seconds."

"Pretty much, probably fifteen."

She laughed, his hand still on her lower back, a warm heavy weight against her skin.

"I didn't realise it at the time but she was a bit of a… well, I wasn't her first, by a long shot, let's put it like that."

"And how old was she?"

"Only fifteen."

"Woah."

"I know." He settled down into the pillow, his face near hers. "It was horrible. You know, you know that break between your exams and then the long summer?"

She nodded, more than content to listen, this was what intimacy was – lying here naked with him sharing these stories, these secrets.

"It happened then. At home. We were alone in the house, kissing on the sofa, and I was sixteen so of course my hands were wandering and wandering to see how far I could go."

She rolled her eyes, "Yes…"

"And then I thought, I'll just test this out so I was tiptoeing my fingers along the buckle of her belt."

"Was she in trousers or a skirt?"

"Jeans. So I'm just slipping my fingers around her belt and she stops kissing me and says, 'If you're going to touch me there then you better promise to fuck me later.'"

"What the hell?!" Elsie exclaims.

"I know. I told you at the time I didn't realise she was quite so 'free and easy' with her affections – that line soon made me wise up but, I say again, I was sixteen! Some girl has just offered me sex, I was hardly going to turn it down."

"Hardly!"

I have no memory of getting to my bedroom but within seconds we were naked and she was on my bed and I was on my knees in front of her…" he frowned shaking his head. "I can't believe I'm telling you this, it's one of the most mortifying moments of my life."

"You can't stop now, I need to know the end."

"You can guess the end."

"About ten seconds after you were on your knees. Is that the mortifying part?"

"No. Worse than that. She actually asked… oh god…"

"What? Charles, you have to say." She was giggling at his expression and he was laughing too, despite the embarrassment of the memory.

"She asked me if I'd put it in yet! How embarrassing is that? Not that I cared at the time."

She snorted with laughter, "Oh good lord. And you're quite well-endowed."

"Thank you darling!" He said proudly.

"You're welcome honey!"

"So, I must have thrust in and out about three times and that was it, I came, and it was my first orgasm."

"Really? That surprises me, I thought you would have…you know… on your own."

"I did. But never quite got there."

"So what happened next?"

"She got up and left. Got dressed and went. I was in such a state of euphoria I don't even remember what I said. You remember your first orgasm – your head's all over the place. I was on the ceiling."

She nodded, "Well yes, but my first was on my own. It's a bit of a different thing with girls, it's not all that comfortable the first few times."

"I know. Believe me, that girl was no virgin."

"Apparently not."

"So, return the favour. Who was your first?"

"Erm, I was seventeen, almost eighteen, and it was my boyfriend, a boy I'd been with for a while. And it was planned to within an inch of its life, we found a hotel room, we spent the night. I remember I bled, which scared me, and every time he moved inside me I thought my skin was being torn."

"Ouch!"

"Luckily, it got better."

"Thank the lord."

She smiled, feeling his fingers stroking her back again.

"Tell me another story – was that your only embarrassing experience?"

"God no, I had loads of them all through school and University."

"You dirty thing! Sleeping around."

"I didn't sleep with them all, usually it was just 'playing'. I didn't have sex with anyone following that experience until I was nineteen. There was this girl who I adored, was totally enamoured with her all through upper school, and she knew it. We went on this trip once and the train was full so she asked if she could sit on my knee."

"The little minx."

"I know, of course I thought it was great at the time. And I had this massive erection the entire journey and she kept wobbling around – on purpose. When the train stopped she got up, looked down at me and said 'Well, I enjoyed that.' And off she went, never spoke to me again."

"What a tease."

"I know. She was laughing about me with her friends too, I brushed it off and just said I'd enjoyed having her in my lap but I really liked her. At that age I thought it was love."

"That was really mean of her to do that."

He nodded. "Hormones hey."

"Clearly. You know I must have been a good girl, I never did any of this stuff until that boy I just mentioned and then of course Joe after that. And now you. I've slept with three people – I'm practically an angel."

"You are." He kissed her forehead. "Oooh, I have one that will make you laugh."

"Go on."

"So, you know Catholic School and we had a church in the grounds and there were woods surrounding the whole place – a lot of students disappeared in there to 'experiment'. And one day it's raining so me and my girlfriend at the time crept into the vestry."

"In the house of God!"

"Don't judge me yet, I think God had a laugh at me anyhow. So, I'm in there with my girlfriend – Alice her name – and we hadn't done anything other than touch because she was fiercely Catholic and wanted to wait until marriage."

"A-ha."

"So we were kissing, and then getting carried away and saying things to each other – you know, how much we're turned on, that kind of thing."

"Okay."

"Then the R.E. teacher storms in, bellowing at us."

Elsie sniggered.

"And I'm desperately trying to make it better, we were only kissing Miss, it was only oral…"

Elsie dissolved in hysterics, hiding her face in the pillow as she laughed.

"My vocabulary wasn't great then, of course I meant it was only verbal, not oral. So I'm marched down to the Head teacher's office and accused of having oral sex in the vestry."

"You naughty, naughty boy."

"My mother nearly killed me when she got that call."

"Was your mother fierce? I bet she was."

"Too right, she used to hit me with a belt, or a slipper, whatever was to hand, when I stepped out of line. What about your mother?"

"Not really." She rolled onto her back; the light was shifting now, the sun sinking and the room shaded. "My father was the punisher."

And he could kick himself, because they were having such fun – such a fun, intimate conversation and now the tone had changed.

He remains still and silent beside her, waiting.

"He had this way of making you feel the upmost guilt you could. We'd have to stand in front of him," she stared up at the ceiling and held her hand out. "Put our hand out, palm up, and he'd say 'Now, you know why I'm going to hit you?' And you'd tell him, so then he'd say 'And you understand why I'm disappointed in you?' And of course we'd say yes." She swallowed, "Then, 'and you know I don't want to hurt you, you've brought this on yourself.' And then slam! A whack straight down on your hand, then another, then another. Until you were sobbing. The older we got the longer we could take it without crying."

She turned again, facing him, "I experienced that three times, then I became the model daughter – I never stepped a foot out of line."

He reached across to stroke her arm; not saying a word, there was nothing to say.

The room was almost in darkness now and she glanced over his shoulder to the clock, almost 20:00.

"You know I've done no work today," she said. "I've spent most of it in bed with you."

"What better place to be. This bed is going to be fine for us you know, in my bedroom."

"What will be 'our bedroom'."

"Blissfully so. Do you need to work, am I in your way?"

"Never." She kissed his shoulder, across his broad chest. "You could never be in my way. I'll work tomorrow. I want to just enjoy this."

She snuggled up against him and he remembered thoughts he'd had months ago – of being emotionally and physically intimate with her. Of exploring sexuality alongside love. It occurred to him that suddenly he was in the midst of that, and it was wonderful.

"Are you hungry?" She asked.

"A little."

"Let's have tea and toast in bed."

"Lovely."

She rolled on top of him, her body full length against his.

He brushed the hair from her face, where her fringe dropped over her forehead.

"Thank you." She said.

"For?"

"Being patient and kind and loving. Sometimes I think back to what my life was like before you and I can't believe we're at this point now. That I have you."

"I still can't believe I have you. All those years admiring you from afar."

"I'm not sure I'm to be admired."

"Oh but you are. Such a strong, beautiful woman. Plenty to be admired. And loved."

She smiled, "I like you saying that to me." She bent her head and kissed him deeply, trying to convey all in her heart with one kiss. It was impossible to put into words.

"Stay here, I'll go get the toast."

He watched as she climbed out of bed, putting on a lamp and finding her dressing gown.

"There are some moments that are just too exquisitely perfect," he said watching her, his arms folded beneath his head. "Like watching you move about naked."

"Pervert."

"Tease."

She giggled. "Behave or you get no toast."

"Will I get this treatment when you move in?"

"No, in my experience as soon as couples start doing serious things like moving in together all treats disappear, including sex." She picked up his trousers from the floor and folded them, laying them over a chair.

"Then I rescind my offer."

"Too late," she leant over him in the bed, kissing his forehead. "You're stuck with me now."

Well, I hoped you enjoyed that little surprise chapter. As always reviews/comments are lovingly appreciated! x