Josh eased away a fraction. ‘I think my housemate’s out,’ he said, his throat hoarse.
Hands all over each other, he was surprised they made it to the bedroom. Once inside, it took her a second to pull her dress up over her head. Josh emitted a throaty moan as she unhooked her bra, revealing firm milk-white breasts. He wanted to do this, he very much wanted to, but there was a warning voice in his head. What would happen afterwards? What if he couldn’t commit to a relationship?
Smiling, she walked across to him, not the least bit embarrassed. With a surge of pure lust, Josh ran appreciative eyes over her. She was beautiful. ‘Lie down,’ she urged, the look in her eyes confident where before it had been unsure.
‘You’re at my mercy now,’ she said, her mouth curving into a teasing smile as she lay next to him. Lapping his cheek with the length of her tongue, she reached to unfasten his jeans. When she took him into her mouth, Josh was surprised. Jesus. She’d obviously decided that she would be in control of the situation. He had no objections. On the contrary. It just wasn’t what he’d expected.
Watching as she straddled him, impish eyes locked on his, her glorious red hair hanging loose and wild as she guided him inside her, Josh lay back and went with it. He didn’t really have a lot of choice. Slowly rotating her hips, she was dictating the pace. And he was happy to let her. Catching hold of her, he gave up agonising about the rights and wrongs and drove himself deep inside her.
She was also into spooning, it seemed. A smile curving his mouth, Josh was happy to oblige there too. He wasn’t exactly a virgin, but he’d never experienced anything quite like the mind-blowing orgasm she’d just given him. ‘Okay?’ he asked, wrapping an arm around her as she nestled in close to him.
‘Perfect,’ she murmured.
Josh’s eyelids were growing heavy when she next spoke. ‘Do you want children, Josh?’ she asked him, trailing her fingernails through the hairs on his forearm.
Josh’s eyes sprang open. ‘Some day,’ he said awkwardly. ‘You?’
She nodded. ‘Definitely. But it would have to be with the right man. Someone caring, like you or your stepdad.’
Josh smiled. ‘You’re not fussy about age then?’
‘Not really, as long as he was kind and respectful of women,’ Kim said. She changed the subject. ‘Tell me about your previous girlfriend. Why didn’t your mother like her?’
Josh hesitated. ‘It’s complicated,’ he answered evasively. ‘It’s over, obviously, or I wouldn’t be lying here with you.’ He gave her a reassuring squeeze.
He was drifting off again when the alarm bells ringing in his head jarred him awake. He couldn’t recall ever having mentioned that his mother hadn’t liked her.
Twenty-Two
Cassandra
Cassie had been surprised when Kim had called her. Chatting as if everything were perfectly normal, she’d invited her over, suggesting they take a walk along the canal bank, since it was such a beautiful day. She’d apologised for cancelling their shopping trip, mentioning that she’d gone into town anyway and was sorry she’d missed her. She hadn’t said anything about the shoplifting, but then Cassie knew Adam had asked her not to. She guessed she would have to mention it, rather than ignore it, but not over the phone.
Twenty minutes early when she approached Kim’s cottage, she parked a short distance away and decided to apply a little make-up. She needed to hang on to what little pride she had left, to pull herself together for her grandson’s sake, for Kim’s. For Adam, who’d at least looked at her this morning with a semblance of a smile in his eyes.
She was part way through her mascara when she noticed a car that had been parked just past Kim’s cottage approaching. She realised she recognised the silver-grey VW Polo, also the driver at the wheel. Jemma Anderson? What on earth was she doing here? Kim had said she didn’t know her when Cassie had asked her.
She watched, confused, as Jemma drove distractedly past, her attention more on the dashboard than the road. Had they become friends since Kim had moved here? she wondered. If so, why hadn’t Kim mentioned it? But then there was no reason why she should.
Quickly finishing off her mascara, she climbed out of her car and walked to the cottage, where she rang the doorbell and waited.
Eventually Kim threw the bedroom window open. ‘Sorry,’ she called.