Page 190 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘That’s not boring. That’s...’ He thought for a moment. ‘Sad.’

‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘I tried to liven things up, but...’ She sighed. ‘I don’t think he was that interested in me.’

‘Yet you stayed?’

‘No, I ended things...’ She looked up. ‘He’s the only person I’ve slept with.’

‘Okay...’ He was obviously thinking. ‘So, what drew you to a man with no passion?’

‘It wasn’t that bad,’ she said, and laughed. But it soon changed. ‘It wasn’t that good. I just didn’t know it. We’re good, aren’t we?’ she said.

‘Yes.’

His hand stroked her arm and her hair, and then moved back to her arm. ‘I’m going to return the favour,’ he told her.

‘Please, no...’ She cringed at the very thought. ‘I could never...’

Then she paused, because until a short while ago she’d never thought she could want to take someone in her mouth. She thought for a moment, but then shook her head.

‘No,’ she said. ‘I don’t think I’d like that.’

What she really liked was this: lying half awake, half asleep...sharing confidences...as if some kind of truth serum had been slipped into them while they slept.

CHAPTER SIX

‘HOWISITMonday already?’ Dante asked.

‘You’ve got to go to the jewellers.’

‘Don’t remind me.’

‘It will be nice.’

He didn’t answer that.

‘You’ve got class this morning?’ he asked.

‘I do,’ she said. ‘Then a lunchtime shift.’

She stared into the thin morning light, loving being wrapped in his arms, and asked the question she was dreading the answer to.

‘What time do you fly?’

‘I haven’t booked it yet.’ He yawned, and was silent for a moment. Then, ‘Perhaps I could fly back early tomorrow morning.’

Susie swallowed, her delight at the prospect of another night tempered with a lick of uncertainty. It was all very well for him, with his million and one exes—he was clearly used to goodbyes.

She thought back to her one attempt yesterday. That had been hard enough. Now, it felt near-impossible to say goodbye without crying. Oh, she wanted to be sophisticated, and to kiss him and walk away. But, while she’d accepted this was temporary, her emotions were joining their little sex party.

‘I thought you only did one night?’ She tried to speak as if it were to tease or joke. ‘We’re already on two.’

‘I thought I only had one night when I said that,’ Dante pointed out.

She thought back to him asking her to dinner—that was before Gio had decided to go to the jewellers. ‘So, you do have longer relationships?’

‘I wouldn’t call them “relationships”, but, yes of course. Short-lived, but not just one night.’

‘Do you ever get involved? Too involved?’