‘Oh Jesus,’ he moaned against her neck. ‘Angel . . .’

For Angel it was like nothing she had ever known before, it was bliss.

But it was over too quickly.

‘Sorry,’ he said, flopping onto his back on the bed, pulling her in close against him when it was over. He let out a trembling breath, ran an unsteady hand through his hair. ‘God, what was that?’

‘I think it’s called desire,’ said Angel shakily.

‘You’re gorgeous.’ He kissed her again and started hunting for the zip on her dress. ‘Let’s get these clothes off, shall we?’

There was no awkwardness between them, that was what puzzled Angel. They weren’t shy of each other. She remembered hating to be undressed with Donny and embarrassed sometimes with Lenny at the start of their relationship. With Farmer, there was none of that.

‘What are these then?’ Farmer was frowning at the marks on her thighs, just as she’d known he would.

‘I’ll tell you later,’ she said. ‘Not now.’

With Cory Farmer, it felt natural to be naked. He seemed to take as much delight in her body as she did in his and he was startlingly sensual, turning her this way and that, stroking her with his fingers and his tongue, bringing her quickly to fever pitch.

‘Spread your legs,’ he said. ‘Let me see.’

Her orgasm was shattering, mind-blowing, and then he was hard inside her again and it was wonderful, it was everything she knew it would be. When he came, she held him tight against her, wanting these feelings to never end.

But end they did.

Finally, exhausted, twined together, they fell asleep.

161

When Farmer woke next morning, he remembered what had happened last night and started to smile. He reached out a hand to touch her – but she was gone.

‘Angel?’

He sat up, looked around. Her clothes, which had been all over the room last night, were no longer there. There was no noise coming from the bathroom.

‘Angel?’ he called, louder.

No answer. She wasn’t in the flat. He scrubbed his hands over his face, yawning, thinking of last night again and how fantastic it had been – he’d thought for both of them. Maybe he was wrong about that. Then he saw the note that had fallen down between the pillows. He snatched it up and read it. She had crazy handwriting, more of a scrawl than anything. The words on it made him stiffen in surprise.

The note said: Gone to the police station.

Over breakfast in the family kitchen, June said to Lil: ‘She’s been out all night, you know.’

Lil, sitting at the table, stopped eating toast and looked up at her sister. ‘So what?’

‘All night. With that policeman.’ June sat down and poured out the tea.

‘Thought there was a bit of a spark there,’ said Lil.

‘Yes, but for God’s sake. On a first date?’

‘She’s not a child. She’s far from that. Angel knows what she’s doing. And why shouldn’t she have some fun? She’s been through the mill lately. We all know that.’