‘It was always a yes,’ he said. ‘I just wanted to be sure you were sure. We do whatever you want, okay? You just want a kiss and a cuddle, that’s more than enough for me…’ He held out his hand. I took it and he pulled me easily up off the bench with him. Then he put his fingers under my chin, tilting my face up towards his. ‘Okay?’

I nodded. ‘Anything I want.’ My mind was alive with delicious possibilities. It had been a long time since I felt this kind of desire for a man. It was heady. Exhilarating and terrifying. But one that I knew I would be forever pissed at myself if I ignored. ‘Maybe we should get a taxi,’ I added impatiently.

Jake chuckled but his eyes flashed with equal desire. ‘Hmm. I think that’s a very good idea.’

25

I had an irrational feeling that everyone in the Waldorf lobby knew that Jake and I were planning some sort of afternoon delight as we climbed out of the taxi and walked through our hotel. Jake’s hand brushed mine and I looked across at him, and we exchanged a shy smile. My heart thumped inside my chest. It had been three years since a man had seen me naked. Three years since I had done anything more than kiss a man. Three years since I had been touched…

‘You seem to be thinking really hard,’ Jake said as we waited for a lift to take us up to our floor.

‘It’s hard to switch my brain off sometimes,’ I confessed.

‘I have that problem too,’ Jake replied as the lift doors opened and we stepped in there together, and were suddenly alone again. ‘I always thought it was part of the reason I became a writer. I have a brain that loves to overthink, which is great for letting my imagination flow and come up with ideas for my books, but not so great when it comes to worrying about my own life.’

‘That makes sense,’ I said, liking the fact he had opened up about that. ‘My overthinking has no creative benefit though. I think mine is mostly worrying what other people think of me, and being desperate to do my best. Maybe I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I always end up feeling like I’m coming short in some way.’

‘I hope you’re not worrying about that right now,’ he said, looking at me. ‘Because kissing you has been incredible so whatever else we do, there is no chance it won’t be just as good.’

I smiled. His words did relax me a little bit. ‘It’s just been a while for me, as you know…’ I trailed off, biting my lip. The lift reached our floor and we stepped out and walked to our side-by-side rooms. Nerves swirled in my stomach as we hovered outside.