AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shenoticed how their kisses had changed since that first night they hooked up.Then, they had been the kisses of strangers: physical and passionate, but impersonal.Nowshe knewwhoshe was kissing, they held more tenderness, more sensuality, more awe.
Icould get used to this, she thought and smiled.
Hetook a tissue off the bedside table and disposed of the condom.Jesssettled next to him, her leg thrown over his body.Asshe cuddled into his side, the gentle night air blew through the open window, cooling them off.Hishand stroked her skin at the base of her back.
Ifanyone had asked her if she’d ever feel this way again four days ago, she’d have laughed.Buthere she was: content and safe in the arms of a good man.
‘Whatare you thinking about?’Gabrielasked her.
Shesighed. ‘Myex-boyfriend.’
Hechuckled. ‘Great.Justwhat every man wants to hear after making love to a beautiful woman.’Sheliked that he didn’t react with jealousy.
‘No, not like that.’Sheswatted his chest. ‘Imean,I’mjust wondering if it was actually lucky that we split up.Wegot along really well, but there were always differences between us.Smallthings,Ithought…but maybe they weren’t so small.Andwe were always so focused on the next step.Like, our life stories had already been written and we were just going through the motions.We’dget married.Havekids.MovetoSurreyor closer to my parents.Geta dog.Iguess it felt like we were ticking off boxes.Inever realised that other options existed.’
‘Ofcourse, there are always other options.’Hetwirled a lock of her hair around his finger.
Jessturned her nose towards his skin, breathing him in. ‘Yeah, butIdidn’t know that.Forexample,Ioften wonder ifI’dstill be a teacher ifIhad known that being an interior designer was an option.Don’tlaugh!Ijust didn’t know.Myparents never talked about jobs like that, it was always: accountant, teacher, lawyer, doctor, nurse, dentist.Itnever occurred to me that people decorated other people’s houses for a living.I’mcompletely aware of how stupid that sounds, butIjust didn’t realise that was a job.Imean, don’t get me wrong,Ilove teaching too, but there were other thingsIcould have done…ifI’dknown.’
‘Therestill are other things you could do.’
Shepuffed out her lips and turned onto her back. ‘Hmmm.I’mnot sureI’mbuilt like that.Myfamily is allergic to change.’
Pushinghimself onto his elbow, he edged onto his side and asked, ‘Howso?’Hisfingers stroked the skin around her belly.Sheliked how they couldn’t stop touching each other.Shewas finding it difficult to concentrate on their conversation.
‘Um, well, we’ve lived in the same house sinceIwas born and my parents lived in it ten years prior to having me.’
‘Okay…’
‘Mydad has been wearing the same suit for almost 40 years.’
‘Soundsvery eco-friendly…’Heleaned down and kissed her on the shoulder.
‘Ican see you’re not convinced.How’sthis: every time one of our pet cats dies, my mother has it cremated and the ashes stored in a little cat-shaped urn.Thenshe uses the urns as bookends and door stops.Inour house, it’s not what’s holding the door open, but who.Shejust can’t handle the idea of the cats not being around anymore.’
‘Okay,I’mconvinced.That’s…certifiable.’
‘Actually, you’d love her.She’skind, and a great cook…although don’t mention the helicopter thing.Itwould give her aheart attack.’Shegiggled, imagining her parents’ expressions if they found out.
Sheglanced atGabriel, expecting him to laugh, too, but his face had turned serious, his lips pressed in a firm line and his eyes, distant.Itonly took her a moment to realise her mistake.She’dbeen talking as though this wasn’t a fling, like he’d be meeting her mother in the near future.
Youidiot, she reprimanded herself.Ofcourse, they’d never meet.Thisinterlude wasn’t for keeps; it was a moment out of time.Aholiday from her real life.Backhome awaited explanations to her friends and rebuilding her life withoutKrish, figuring out what to do next.
Unfortunately, her future probably didn’t includeGabriel.
Thethought made her chest tighten with unanticipated grief.
13
Somewhereoutside,a rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed.Orcoco-rico, as they said inFrance.Jessrecalled teaching her kids about what animals sounded like in other countries and, for a moment, her stomach plummeted at the thought of returning to school soon—a feeling that concerned her.Rememberthis is just a hook up.Yourlife is inLondon,she berated herself.Justenjoy the experience.
Andwhat an experience it was.
Asmile tugged at her lips.Shewas in aFrenchchateau with an amazing man.Herbody ached in all the right places.Ifthis were a book, it would be calledTheSexualAwakeningofJessicaSmithand there would be lots of analogies about ripening fruit.
Thebed next to her dipped and she cracked open an eye to findGabrielreattaching his prosthesis. ‘Morning,’ she said, reaching out to run her hand along his spine.
‘Hey, go back to sleep.’Hetwisted towards her, leaned down and kissed her on the lips. ‘I’mjust going to do some yoga outside.’
