CHAPTER SEVEN

      THIS WAS THE way the last date should have ended.

      Once again, Sophia was pressed against her front door the moment it shut behind her but she wasn’t standing there with her head bowed, listening to the sound of a fading engine.

      This time, it was her back against the door. And her arms, as she lifted them in a helpless gesture, unable to think of anything else to do with them as she met the intensity of the kiss she was receiving.

      Who knew that you could actually taste desire? Was it her own or Aiden’s or the chemical reaction of mixing them that made this so incredibly delicious?

      For the longest time, that was enough. The silky glide of tongue against tongue. The endless variations of pressure in lips that was a conversation all by itself. But then Aiden’s hands left her neck, where they’d been cradling her head, and they trailed down to cup her breasts. His lips left hers to touch the soft skin below her ear where she could feel her own pulse pounding and suddenly it wasn’t enough.

      Not nearly enough.

      And she knew what to do with her arms, now, too. She could wrap them around his neck and run her fingers through the softness of that closely cropped hair. Press her lips against that vulnerable spot on his temple.

      She couldn’t say who started moving first. If it hadn’t been her, Aiden didn’t seem to have any problem finding her bedroom, but it was a tiny house. The interruption of removing clothes felt like a nuisance and Sophia hastily stripped off her sweater at the same time Aiden peeled off his leather jacket. They both kicked off their shoes but then they looked at each other and abandoned undressing to kiss again.

      And time seemed to stop. Taking their clothes off was no longer a nuisance. It was a game to be savoured. A slow reveal of buttons coming undone and zips being separated. Exposed skin that needed exploring. Touching and kissing with murmurs of appreciation and the odd whimper of escalating desire.

      Too soon—and not nearly soon enough—they were in her bed and now there were no limits on the touching. No stopping the roller-coaster of sensation that was pushing them towards ecstasy. The interruption of Aiden leaning over the side of the bed to find his discarded jeans and fish in the pocket for a foil packet was unbearable.

      There’s no need, Sophia wanted to say. Don’t stop.

      But, of course, she didn’t say it. And it wasn’t entirely true, anyway. Okay, there was no way she could get pregnant but there were other reasons to use protection …

      And maybe that was why she found the interruption unbearable. She didn’t want to have to think about anything like that—even for the few seconds it took.

      Easy to forget about it again, though. To cry out with the pleasure of feeling him inside her and then to simply surrender to the mounting tension that was taking them both to that place like no other. Where the world could stop turning for as long as it took.

      It took quite a while for either of them to get their breath back as they lay there, their limbs entangled and the only sound their rapid panting.

      ‘Oh, my God,’ Sophia whispered, when words were finally available. ‘How did you do that?’

      ‘I was going to ask you the same thing.’ There was a smile in Aiden’s voice as he eased himself free. He didn’t let go of Sophia, though, and she found herself rolling onto to her side, with her head cradled against his chest. ‘You’re amazing. You do know that, don’t you?’

      She could feel the edge of his nipple against her lips as she smiled. ‘I do now. You’re pretty amazing yourself.’

      He pressed his lips to the top of her head. ‘Maybe it was the combination.’

      ‘Mmm.’ Post-coital drowsiness was enveloping Sophia. She could feel herself relaxing into sleep and the thought that she would wake in Aiden’s arms was blissful.

      But he moved, just a little. ‘I should go,’ he murmured. ‘I wasn’t kidding about the early start.’

      ‘You don’t have to.’

      The soft sound was regretful. ‘But I know exactly what would happen if I stayed and I only had one condom in my pocket.’

      The temptation to say something was even stronger this time. ‘You don’t need to worry about me getting pregnant.’

      He moved enough to break the contact between their bodies. ‘Don’t take it personally but I’ve never relied on anyone else for contraception and I’m not about to break that rule.’

      ‘Oh …’ Sophia could feel the chill of exposed skin. And then she felt the dip of her mattress as Aiden sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

      He turned then but it was too dark to read his expression. ‘I’m never going to have kids,’ he said quietly. ‘I had to be a father to Nate when he was growing up and that was enough. More than enough.’

      There was a world of pain behind those words. But there was also a warning note. He’d shared more than his body with her tonight. He’d shared a lot of his personal life but there were limits. This wasn’t something he was ready to talk about.

      He leaned towards her and gave her a swift kiss. ‘I do have to go.’

      ‘Okay.’

      Sophia listened to the sounds of him getting dressed again. She sat up, pulling the duvet around her like a shawl.

      ‘It was the best half-date I’ve ever been on,’ she told him. ‘Thank you.’

      The glimmer of his smile gave her the impression she’d said exactly the right thing. Not pushing him to talk any more about his ‘rules’ or the reason they were so iron-clad.

      He came close and this time the kiss lingered.

      ‘Just as well it was a half-date,’ he said. ‘That means we still have one left.’

      One.

      Sophia’s heart sank.

      ‘Would it count as a date if we didn’t go anywhere? Like—if you came round for dinner