Page 83 of The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop

She needed to try to explain. ‘I didn’t think that I could ever feel like that again.’ It was so beautiful, tender, like he’d reached her soul somehow. It was so much more than sex.

He smiled, relaxed a little, looked at her as she spoke again. ‘And it feels kind of strange too. Disloyal to Luke, you know …?’

‘Yeah, I get that.’

‘I’m sorry … Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s nothing against you.’

She lay quietly. Her head on his chest, his arms gently around her.

‘You know,’ he began, ‘if I were your Luke I wouldn’t want you to be sad or lonely, or not have someone special in your life to care for you. It’s been what, seven years, Emma? I think he’ll be happy for you, honestly.’ He stroked her hair. ‘If he thought as much of you as I do, he’d want you to be happy again.’

The words sank in … Max must feel so much for her. Were they learning to love each other? She snuggled up close to him. He was still slightly sweaty from their lovemaking, and that felt good. And though her heart was still in two places, yes, put like that, it made sense.

‘Thank you.’ She spoke against his chest.

‘Well, I mean, I’d like you to wait at least five years or so, after I’m gone. I’ll be haunting you else – if you were to go near another bloke too soon,’ he quipped to lighten the mood.

The thought of losing someone else she cared so much for … She couldn’t begin to imagine being faced with that again, felt a prickle of fear. ‘Well, I’m kind of hoping we won’t have to go through anything like that …’

‘Yeah, me too.’ And he kissed the top of her head.

36

‘Morning, beautiful.’

What a lovely way to be woken up. ‘Morning,’ she answered.

Emma vaguely remembered coming to in the middle of the night and realising there was a man in her bed; a lovely, gorgeous, Max-shaped man. And then was a little mortified as she remembered how she’d been in a bit of state over Luke.

But Max hadn’t taken it too personally by the sound of it. He leaned across and gave her a peck on the cheek, his light beard rather tickly.

‘Gotta get up and get going, I’m afraid. I need to be on site at Gateshead by eight thirty. I’m meeting the owner of the property we’re working on.’

‘Ah, shame.’ And she snuggled in a little closer, with her bare breasts nestled against his chest. She really did not want Max to leave her bed just yet.

He looked down at what was going on, not able to hide the longing in his eyes as he took in the fullness of her breasts against him. ‘Now that’s mean,’ he smiled, ‘when I haven’t got time to do anything about it. I really, really do have to go, Em.’ He sounded like he was trying to persuade himself, and with a decisive lurch he started getting out of bed.

Emma watched his firm, bare back, the muscles defined there, the neat buttocks below a little paler than the rest of him. Hmm. She lay there smiling to herself, but the bed was starting to feel colder already.

She also had loads to do herself, but she couldn’t resist leaping out of bed to follow him. She had missed this physical contact, these feelings so much. She embraced him from behind, her arms tight around his chest, and started kissing the back of his neck. He turned to her, his erection perfectly formed, kissed her mouth provocatively, setting light to every nerve in her body.

‘Another time …’ He grinned, moving away from her to grab his clothes, then heading for the bathroom. ‘I really have to get ready and go.’

‘Do you want to come back tonight?’ Emma had called Max by mid-afternoon. She’d gone from ice maiden to red-hot lover in the space of a weekend.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Oh, yes.’

‘Well then, I won’t keep a lady waiting. Of course. I’ll drive up after work.’ She could hear the smile in his tone.

‘I’ll make some supper. But, don’t get too excited. It won’t be anything too fancy. Anything you don’t eat?’

‘Not really.’

‘Good. See you later then. Better go, there’s someone just come in to the shop.’

‘See you later, Em.’