‘I know,’ Sarah said, ‘I’ve seen it often enough with my mum. Roger may be my first proper boyfriend, but I ain’t silly when it comes to men.’

Mo wasn’t convinced, and a heartbroken blubbering woman was the last thing she wanted to put up with. She could only hope Sarah was as sensible as she sounded.

That evening, Sarah had just applied a slick of pink lipstick when she heard Roger’s van outside. Her heart seemed to skip a beat, and though she couldn’t wait to see him, she was filled with nervous excitement.

Tommy went to the front door to let him in, and when she saw his masculine physique filling her doorway, all she wanted to do was run into his arms. ‘Hello, Roger,’ she said meekly.

Roger had a box under his arm which he gave to Tommy. Sarah watched him eagerly opening it and then his voice rose in excitement, ‘Muffin! Can I go and show it to Larry?’

‘Yes, but I want you back in an hour, young man. You’ve got school in the morning.’

Once Tommy had gone, Roger approached Sarah and pulled her towards him. She felt a quiver run down her back as he placed his lips on hers and tenderly kissed her.

‘It’s nice to have you all to myself for a while,’ he said, and kissed her again.

This time she could feel his tongue parting her lips and pushing into her mouth. She’d heard about French kissing, but it felt odd, though she tingled with pleasure. He began to run his hands up and down her sides, then reached to the front and softly cupped her breast. She immediately pulled away and turned from him.

‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You’re so gorgeous and it’s hard for me to keep my hands to myself.’

She spun back around and saw the hungry look in his eyes. She’d seen that look before when some of her mother’s punters had eyed her. It was the same look Eddy used to stare at her with too. It made her feel uncomfortable, and she squirmed, but she didn’t want Roger to think she didn’t like him. ‘It’s all right,’ she said, ‘I just need to take things slowly.’

‘That’s fine,’ Roger said and lightly kissed her forehead.

It was a relief to know he wasn’t going to try and push her into something she wasn’t yet ready for, especially after Mo’s warning. She’d enjoyed him kissing her and exploring her mouth though. It had left her quite breathless and wanting more, but she couldn’t shake her mother’s warning – keep your legs shut.

Chapter 33