Page 58 of When We Were Young

Scott had given up trying to sleep – when he drank too much alcohol, it always kept him awake. He was reading when he heard a gentle knock on his bedroom door.

‘Yeah?’ he called.

The door opened and there, lit by the soft glow of his bedside lamp, stood Emily. On anyone else, that nightdress would be ordinary, but on her it was beyond sexy.

He tried to keep his eyes on her face. ‘You okay?’

Without a word, she turned and quietly closed the door behind her.

‘Em?’

She lifted his duvet and slid into the bed beside him.

He placed the book on his bedside table and turned back to find her with her head on the pillow facing him.

His heart skittered as he lay down beside her.

It must be a dream – Emily Lawrence was in his bed, an intense look in her eyes.

She scooted closer and brushed her parted lips against his.

His whole body thrummed. He closed his eyes as her tongue slipped into his mouth.

What the fuck was happening? He must have fallen asleep.

Her hands were on his body, travelling downwards, finding the erection that had sprung up the moment he glimpsed her in that clingy, strappy nightdress.

A groan escaped him as her hand closed around it.

She kissed him deeply, and he was getting carried away with it all, but a nagging doubt lingered.

It was so hard to break away, so difficult to put a hand over hers to still it for a moment.

‘Em?’

She ignored him and kissed his neck.

‘Em, you have to say something, otherwise I’ll think you’re sleepwalking.’

She breathed in his ear, ‘I’m not sleepwalking.’ And it was the hottest thing he’d ever heard.

He let go of her hand, and she began moving it again in slow, rhythmic strokes.

He kissed her mouth, her neck, her shoulder.

Her soft sighs and shallow breaths became too much for him.

She gasped as he flipped her onto her back but her hands were in his hair, caressing his neck, clasping him by the shoulders and pulling him close.

‘Em?’

‘Shh,’ she whispered.

‘Em, are you sure you want this?’ Oh God, please say yes.

She broke away and locked eyes with him. ‘I want this.’

And it was as if she’d said something really dirty.

He didn’t sleep at all. He lay there all night, Emily curled beside him, breathing softly. Even when her hair tickled his nose, he kept very still. In the weak morning light, he watched her eyelids flutter as she dreamt. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening.

She woke early as the sun came in through a gap in the curtains of the balcony doors. Silently, he cursed himself for not closing them properly. She rubbed her eyes, yawned, and smiled. She was adorable.

‘Morning,’ he said.

She covered her face and peeked through her fingers. ‘Oh God,’ she whispered. ‘We totally did it.’

He laughed. ‘Yeah, we totally did it.’

Her cheeks were flushed when she slid her hands down to her chin. ‘You’re good,’ she said, arching an eyebrow.

‘Good?’

She groaned, covered her face again, and through her fingers said, ‘I mean, I can see where you get your reputation.’

‘What reputation?’

She laughed like he’d said something funny. ‘Right, I’m getting out of here before Miranda finds out and we never hear the end of it.’

She wriggled around under the covers, putting her arms back in the straps of her nightdress. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek chastely. ‘Heart of ice, right?’

He set his mouth into a smile. ‘The only way to be.’

Then she was up and out of the bed, smoothing the nightdress. At the door, she checked the coast was clear and gave him a little wave before slipping out.

The handle moved down and up as she closed the door silently.

He curled his arms over his head, and muttered, ‘Ah fuck.’

And that cold little rock in the middle of his chest cracked.