“You exceeded all my expectations.” She grinned. And it was absolutely true—no orgasm faking required!

“I’m relieved to hear it,” he said, scooping his T-shirt off the bedpost and bending to kiss her.

“Of course, my knowledge of sex then was based solely on what I’d read in Judy Blume’s Forever, so I couldn’t have imagined all the naughty things that you’d actually do when you got me in your bed.”

He was midway pulling on his jeans, smiling devilishly at her. “That was just for starters,” he said, waggling his eyebrows at her. “I haven’t even begun to get naughty with you yet.”

Nory bit her lip and pressed her knees together. Oh, how she wished she didn’t have to go back to the castle tonight. Although, it had been a while since she’d had sex, so she really ought to pace herself if she didn’t want a dose of cystitis; they never mentioned that in the movies. Anastasia Steele never had to ask Mr. Fifty Shades for a night off because she was basically weeing fire.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“Cystitis,” she replied.

“Really?”

“Well, first of all I was thinking about how I’d like to stay here and have sex with you all night long, and then it occurred to me that that was just asking for a UTI.”

Isaac nodded. “I see . . .”

“Sorry, was that too much information? It was, wasn’t it? I really need to not express my every thought. Sorry.” She searched Isaac’s face, but he was smiling at her.

“To be honest,” he said, “when I asked you to stay, I was thinking it would be nice to fall asleep with you. And you know, maybe have sex again in the morning, when we’re all sleepy and relaxed. I probably couldn’t manage to have sex all night long.”

Nory’s chest filled with warmth. “You wanted to fall asleep with me?”

“Yes,” he said, sitting on the bed beside her. “I’d like to fall asleep beside you and wake beside you.”

Nory leaned over and kissed him. That was possibly the nicest thing a man had ever said to her.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“For being better in real life than you were in my imagination.”

“How was I in your imagination?”

“Perfect.”

Isaac cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “You are rocking my world, Nory Noel.”

The snow had stopped by the time they wandered back to the castle, in what was becoming a familiar routine. It was almost midnight, and she imagined most of her housemates had gotten an early night, ready for an early start in the morning. She couldn’t quite believe she’d been here almost a week. And on Sunday she would be heading back to London, back to the shop and Mugwort and meals for one.

“What are you thinking?” Isaac asked.