After a while, we both pulled apart. I felt a little dazed.
‘That was quite a kiss, Coffee Girl.’
‘You’re quite a kisser, Ashwin Laghari.’
He laughed and squeezed my waist. ‘No one ever calls me that, you know, but I rather like it when you do. You make me sound like some sexy magician.’
With those beguiling kisses he definitely had a touch of magic about him.
‘Would you like to come back to my place? I promise my sheets are clean.’ He held up a hand. ‘Not because I was hoping to score tonight… I thought you might be too much of a ballbreaker.’
‘Charming. What changed your mind?’
‘Because inside, I think we have a lot more in common than either of us would like to admit. And, just for the record, I always do my laundry on Saturday.’
Chapter Three
‘Claire, can I have a word? It’s urgent. My office in ten.’
My heart sank at Alastair’s words. It was five to eight on Monday morning and I’d literally just walked through the door – in fact, almost walked into the door frame I was so tired and my eyesight was a little blurry. Stay calm, Claire. You got the report done. It’s all cool. I heaved out a sigh, punch drunk with fatigue. I’d pulled an all-nighter to get the damned thing done.
‘Morning, Claire. Good weekend?’ Karen, the HR director, grinned at me as she ducked her head into my office.
‘It was actually.’ I grinned back, suddenly boosted by the memory of waking up in Ash’s bed on Sunday morning.
‘Anything you want to share?’
‘Not just now.’ I gave her a mischievous smile. ‘Maybe over a glass of prosecco, one night.’
‘Just let me know when.’
‘Might not be this week.’ I winced. As she walked off with a cheery wave over her shoulder, I let myself take an indulgent dip into the memories of Saturday night and Sunday morning.
I’d woken late on Sunday. Sadly, the delicious lassitude of my muscles had long since dissipated but thinking about Ash’s body moving over mine, the breathless sighs of both of us and the delicious intimacy we’d shared, warmed me as I sat down at my desk. God, he’d been lovely. A considerate, passionate, thoughtful and, I thought with a sudden naughty smile, very inventive lover. That competitive streak in both of us had pushed us to challenge each other well beyond limits that I suspected normally bound us. I almost groaned out loud at the deliciousness of his shuddering uncontrolled orgasm and the sheer feminine satisfaction that I, Claire, had been able to bring a man to this. Not that he’d been without his own power. I’d never had sex like it and was still a little surprised by my own loss of control and the way I’d begged him, gasping, ‘please, please, please’ over and over again.
Even now I was getting a little hot and bothered at the recollection of the way our bodies had moved together.
I’d woken up on Sunday immediately aware of where I was and smiling at the weight of Ash’s arm draped over my back and the sun streaming in through the window. We’d been in far too much haste to bother with things like closing curtains. That smile vanished quickly when I realised the time. I’d felt a little sick when I saw it was half past nine.
‘I’m sorry, Ash, I’ve got to go.’ I pulled off the sheets but he tugged me back.
‘Not even a good morning kiss,’ he teased, pulling me down onto his warm body. He was impossible to resist but eventually I forced myself to sit up. ‘I really have to go. I have so much to do. I’ve got this big report to hand in on Monday and I’m…’ My stomach had turned over at just how much I had to do and how much time I’d lost helping my sister yesterday. Alice and her bloody hedge. If it weren’t for her, I might have been able to give in to the temptation of slow Sunday-morning sex. I was beginning to recognise the familiar signs of stress creeping through my body.
‘Hey, don’t look so worried. I get it. My laptop’s calling me too.’
‘And the boy gets the prize,’ I quipped with a grateful smile. He really did understand.
‘I’m with you, Claire. I completely understand.’
I kissed him smartly on the nose, wishing like crazy I could kiss that lush mouth and go back for round two. It was possibly my biggest regret for a very long time. I hated having to drag myself away.
At the front door, Ash gave me a long, heated kiss that had us both breathing heavily.
‘Who needs exercise? This is definitely pushing up my heart rate,’ said Ash, pushing my hair back over my shoulder.
‘I wish I could stay.’
‘Don’t worry.’
He kissed me again and it was another minute before I came up for air. ‘I really do have to go.’
‘I know.’ He bent and teased my lips again. I felt my resolve weakening but fear raised its ugly head. There was a chance I might not get the report done in time.
‘I’ve got to go.’ I pulled away and put a good metre between us so I wouldn’t be tempted again.
‘I’ll text you tomorrow. Dinner Friday?’
I grinned at him. ‘Or Saturday.’
He raised a cocky eyebrow in response. ‘You don’t need to play hard to get now. I’ve already had you.’
‘Or I had you.’ I tilted my head with a superior smile and turned and walked away, wishing with every step that I could have stayed.
Even now, on Monday morning, I was still rather pleased with that quip and the accompanying smile carried me all the way to Alastair’s office. Just outside, my phone beeped and I paused. Normally I’d have ignored my phone but a slew of distracting texts yesterday had reprogrammed my response to the text alert.
Morning, sexy girl. Hope you slept well. Looking forward to Friday. x
I glanced at Alastair’s closed door.
Morning, Ashwin Laghari. Could have sworn we said Saturday. x
Before I could even put my phone back in my pocket, the message came back.
How about we compromise… and do both. xxx
I smiled and, inside my chest, my heart did a funny little bunny hop of happiness.
‘There you are, Claire.’ Alastair, a man of few words, waved me in. ‘The Ashdown Report—’
‘Don’t worry, it’s all done. I just need to get Ros to print off a dozen copies, bind, and distribute them.’
‘Ah, that’s why I wanted to see you. The client’s had a change of heart. They’ve decided that they’d like to look at a different sector of the construction industry, education rather than retail. I’m afraid we’re going to have to start again.’
That would be the royal we, would it?
‘And I know education isn’t your area of expertise but you’re a quick study and we’ve got all the stats and data on the market.’
Yes we did but they weren’t at one’s finger tips. We would take some time digging them up.
‘Won’t take someone like you that long to get up to speed.’
No, not more than a day or so.
‘Obviously we’ll bill them for your hours to date, so it’s not a problem.’ His smile was optimistic. ‘You know how it is. What the client wants, the client gets.’