Page 81 of One for the Road
“Perhaps there’s no façade and this is as deep as it gets. Ever think of that?”
No. I hadn’t.
“What else did you try?” I asked, feeling braver now.
“Bloody hell, Lang.” It was his turn to blush. “I don’t know, we experimented in the early days, but that kind of tapered off over time. My fault. I was so focused on work, I let that aspect of our relationship slide.”
“Did you tie each other up?”
“Yes.”
That intrigued me.
“Anal?”
He choked. Steadied himself, then coughed as he spoke. “Hearing the word anal pass your lips will be the last thing I ever hear. I swear to god, I’ll be on my deathbed, and it will send a little shiver down my spine.”
“You’re avoiding the question.” I hummed, grinning like a fool.
“Fuck, Lang, no. I’ve never done anal.” He picked up one of my scatter cushions, burying his face in it. I’d swear he muttered, “Going to be the fucking death of me.”
Taking it easy on him, I started to stand. “More pie?”
“Oh, no.” He dropped the cushion and caught my arm. “You’ve tortured me; I think it’s your turn in the hot seat.”
My smile instantly slipped. “I already told you: stale sex life, no idea what I’m into. There isn’t much worth sharing there.”
“You see, that’s what has me so fucking curious.” He leaned down to see my face. “Ninety per cent of the time you blush like a schoolgirl experiencing eye contact for the first time. Then, just when I think I have you pegged—”
“Interesting choice of words.”
“—a vibrator turns up on my doorstep—”
“That was a gift from your sister—”
“—or you’re absolute fire in my hands in a toilet block, giving me this look that tells me you’d fucking eat me alive in the bedroom. It’s enough of a disparity to drive a man mad.” My eyes slipped to my lap. “Isla, look at me,” he urged.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I’m embarrassed.”
“About?” He lifted my chin.
Could I actually admit to this? “Because I can’t – I could never . . . Cameron tried, but it was . . . I just couldn’t . . .” I hoped he would interpret what I couldn’t bring myself to say.
His fingers tightened. “Never?”
“A few times when I was pregnant and my body was hypersensitive all the time. I was so young when we started having sex, I never questioned what should be happening for me. The first time I orgasmed, I thought there was something wrong with the baby.” I laughed, but my face was so hot I felt like I was about to burst into flames. “And then Teddy was born, and our sex life went back to normal.”
“I despise him.” His nostrils flared.
“He tried—”
“Not fucking hard enough. He hadeightyears, Isla. Eight years to memorise your body, learn what got you hot. Hewastedthem—” He broke off with a sharp groan, pulledstraight from his chest. It made my toes curl in my socks. “Fuck, we shouldn’t have started this conversation. This was such a bad idea—”
“We can forget it ever happened.” I knew it was a lie as I said it.
