Page 85 of Modern Romance July 2025 #4-8
He was a sight for sore eyes. Outside the steady fall of snow could just be glimpsed through the gap in the curtains, and inside the dull glow from the bedside lamp threw his remarkable body into alluring shadows.
His broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist. He was standing in full view of her avid gaze, having strategically paused by the dressing table to slowly undo the top button of his trousers.
She could hardly draw breath as his fingers lingered on the button, then down came the zip, and his trousers followed the jumper over the back of the chair, collected in one fluid movement that showed every ripple of sinew and muscle…
He had his mobile in one hand, and for a few seconds he looked at it, beautiful and semi-naked with just his boxers on.
Then he switched it off and, as the blue light faded, he got rid of the boxers and Cassie almost choked at the sight of him completely naked.
It was crazy, as she’d seen this man in the buff before and more than that—much, much more than that.
It was crazy that she’d run her hand across the taut leanness of his chest, felt the compacted muscles of his thighs, taken him in her mouth and tasted the masculine essence of him.
Right now, she was as turned on as though none of that had ever happened.
He strolled towards the bed, hand resting loosely on his impressive member, and then slid under the covers to join her. The mattress depressed. She was lying on her side, facing him, and now she couldn’t find a way to adjust her position without calling attention to herself.
He was half-propped up on the pillow, one hand behind his head, staring off into the dark room.
‘I’m guessing you’re still awake.’
‘No, I’m not.’
Leo grinned and then shifted so that they were facing one another.
‘Did you enjoy the view?’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Cassie lied breathlessly.
The silence hung between them. Staring straight into his eyes, Cassie blinked. Her hand trembled, reaching out to touch the naked body so close to her.
Why, why, why…?
Just as quickly, she pulled her hand away, but her body was on fire, burning up under the thick pyjamas that covered her from head to toe.
‘You want to touch me,’ Leo said softly, keeping his hands to himself.
‘You should be wearing clothes.’
‘Tell me you’re not going to blame my lack of clothes for your wandering hands. I didn’t come here with some pyjamas conveniently stashed in a bag. In fact, as you know very well, I don’t even own a pair.’
‘Leo, I don’t want to fall back into bed with you. And don’t forget, you said the same thing to me.’
‘I did, and I certainly meant it at the time, because I didn’t want to add any more complications to an already complicated situation not of my choosing.’
‘And now?’ Cassie whispered.
‘And now? Things don’t seem quite so straightforward.’
Her heart leapt just a little. What did that mean? Things were always straightforward when emotions weren’t involved. She could happily have had sex with him for a week when she’d told herself that she was in charge, that she was just doing what he was doing, getting him out of her system.
But then emotions had crept in and everything had changed.
Questions had been asked, hopes nurtured and despair lay just round the corner because the heart was fragile and defenceless in the face of love.
Was he beginning to have feelings for her?
Was that why things weren’t so straightforward for him any longer?
She dared to hope but she wasn’t going to probe any further because she knew that the shutters would slam down.
Maybe he needed to reach the same place as her but would take longer, because he was so proud and because he’d been hurt.
Maybe, after all, he had agreed to this engagement because some subconscious stirrings of love had prompted him to.
Maybe all he needed was a little nudge and he would get there; he would see that what they had was too good to let go. He would see what she saw.
‘I still really fancy you,’ she admitted huskily. ‘I thought that a week would be enough, but maybe it’s not.’
‘And here we are. Me naked and you fully clothed in flannel.’
‘It’s cold in this house.’
‘I’m pretty hot right now.’
Cassie reached out again and this time she leant into what her body yearned for. She wanted to silence that sprig of hope, but she couldn’t, so she just abandoned herself to it.
She reached down to feel his arousal, hard and pulsing, and when he smiled as her eyes widened, hot colour scorched her cheeks.
She couldn’t wait to get rid of the thick pyjamas.
He reached for the top and she brushed aside his hand to kneel and yank it off, then she slipped off the side of the bed and got rid of the rest of her clothes.
They made love. Slowly at first, touching as if finding one another for the first time, except there was a familiarity there that came from the time they had spent together at his villa.
She knew what turned him on and vice versa.
She knew how to stroke and where to touch and he knew how to make her body sing.
She came with his mouth pressed between her legs, his tongue exploring her and his hands touching her just the way she loved being touched.
And then, when her orgasm had faded to lazy, warm contentment, he slowly stirred her up all over again and then took her with long, deep thrusts that had her bucking against him and stifling her cries with her hand.
Afterwards, she curled into him and wrapped her arms around his body so their bodies fused as one.
Lying like this, Leo could feel the beating of her heart and her soft breath on his neck.
He’d never liked the after-sex routine where, without fail, women wanted to cuddle.
He’d never done cuddling. Post-coital activity, for him, had always involved a shower and then usually work.
Anything to get out of bed and away from an intimacy that he had no time for.
He’d long accepted that this was part and parcel of his iron-clad defences against encouraging the sort of relationship he would never entertain.
But, since Cassie had come back into his life, there had been a lot of cuddles. There had been many hugs and the sort of post-sex, sleepy contentment he had never experienced before: talking with voices low; laughing; touching again; drifting into sleep; tenderness…
‘Leo…’
‘Mmm…?’ His mind wandered and he lazily softened to the slow caress of her voice.
‘This is good, isn’t it?’
‘I can definitely tell you that my body hasn’t felt this good since…the last time we made love.’
‘It’s more than that, though, isn’t it?’ she asked huskily. ‘Leo, I know we’ve put limits on this, but we don’t have to, do we?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean…we still connect. When I’m with you, the years fall away.
Maybe that’s why I mentioned the whole engagement thing to Mum.
Maybe, deep down, something about us felt right.
Maybe not engagement right, but we’re here now, and this connection…
We could explore it, Leo. We could see where it leads us.
We’re older now, and the past is the past, but this is a great present, isn’t it—this thing we’ve got now? ’
‘What are you saying, Cass? You want to explore what we have?’
‘Yes!’ She propped herself up on one elbow and looked at him, stroking his hair and then gently kissing the side of his mouth.
‘Maybe it was the same for you and you didn’t realise it.
Maybe that’s why you agreed to this—because without even realising it you wanted to explore what we started eight years ago and is still waiting to be finished.
To reach the place it should be—us together.
I loved you then, Leo, and I love you now—and I’m not afraid to admit it. ’