It was the first time she’d thought of Jude since yesterday. That surely was a good sign. It was also the first time that she realised that most of her relationship with her ex-lover had been based around sex – most of it rushed, frantic, guilty sex. She’d dressed it up as excitement, passion. Now she’d spent the night with Zak, she realised that it could be different. Oh, so different!

‘Let’s not spoil the mood,’ she said. ‘Let’s just bask in the little glow we’ve created.’

‘We could create another little glow,’ Zak suggested.

Lauren smiled. ‘We could.’

‘And then you need to pay your debts, Ms Osbourne.’

She frowned.

‘You’re forgetting that the World Pudding-Eating Champion was promised breakfast in bed.’

‘Oh yes, that’s right,’ she admitted. ‘But then I’ve had a lot on my mind.’

‘Me too,’ he said. Zak lifted himself until he was above her. Then, with a happy sigh, he said, ‘Do you realise quite how many times I’ve imagined you naked while I’ve been sitting at my desk pretending to care about websites?’

‘A lot?’

‘An obscene amount.’

They giggled like teenagers.

‘And look at you,’ he said wistfully. ‘You’re here and you’re mine.’ He slipped inside her, his body joined with hers and she felt a wave of joy ripple through her. ‘I never thought that would happen.’

‘Me neither,’ Lauren murmured contentedly. ‘But I’m so glad that it did.’

Chapter 97

Chapter 97

When they’d made love again – and again – Lauren slipped out of bed while Zak snoozed. She showered in the small bathroom and threw on her kimono before padding down to the kitchen.

In the fridge she found bacon, and there was a fresh loaf that they’d brought down with them yesterday in the bread bin. There were eggs too, but she decided against them on the grounds of practicality. They’d already made quite enough of a mess of that crisp white linen without adding egg-yolk stains to it. It made her grin to think of their crumpled sheets.

Theoretically, it was even too late for brunch. This was most definitely lunch in bed rather than breakfast.

Lauren put the bacon under the grill and four slices of bread in the toaster. She didn’t know if Zak preferred tea or coffee in the mornings – even that little thought sent a thrill through her – so she plumped for coffee for him as that’s what she was having.

It didn’t seem a very exotic brekkie in bed – bacon sandwiches and coffee – but she knew that it would be a meal that she’d cherish for a long time. There was orange juice in the fridge too – Zak had thought of everything – and she poured them both a glass of that.