Page 69 of The Suitcase Swap

What she needed were some firm boundaries. Rules in place, a plan for how to deal with the eventual fallout, much like Edie had said.

And she had better bring it up fast, because Mike had brushed her hair aside so he could nibble her neck and hishands were no longer still. His fingers danced along her stomach and hips in a very distracting manner. She cleared her throat. ‘Mike?’

His response was a hum.

‘We should probably go over some things.’

Mike found a spot that made her weak-kneed and hovered there, raking it with his teeth.

‘Mike.’ His name came out in a gasp.

‘I got a test about eight months back. No one since then. I can pull up the results on my phone if you’d like.’ His voice was a low rumble, his hands kneading her hips.

Gratitude filled her at the offer. After what Andrew had done, her trust was fragile when it came to sex. ‘Please. Thank you. Why did you request a test?’

‘I had a suspicious rash that turned out to be from a new detergent. I’ll leave you with that amazingly erotic image in your head while I go find my phone.’ He squeezed her and kissed her again, then pulled away, making it only a few feet before he stopped, pulled a throw off the bed and wrapped her in it. ‘Be right back.’

Sophie sat on the bed and waited, wondering at the fact that she hadn’t thought of the blanket first. She wasn’t shy, but she hadn’t exactly paraded around naked for the two men she’d slept with after Andrew had left. She’d had a few drinks in her for courage for the first one, and it had been mostly dark, for which she’d been grateful. For the second one, she hadn’t even managed to get fully undressed, and that had partly been why she hadn’t asked for a repeat performance.

With the exception of Andrew and a few doctors, she hadn’t shown a man her naked body in full lighting since she was twenty. Things had changed since then, certainly, her body shifting with time, not to mention the fresh and shiny dents in her confidence that her ex had left. There had been that nagging doubt that he’d left because she was no longera person worthy of love or desire, even if Edie repeatedly told her that those things weren’t true. Had in fact followed Sophie through the house one day with a novelty megaphone, shouting that at her until Sophie had burst into a fit of giggles.

With Mike, she simply hadn’t thought anything of it.Hewasn’t even fully undressed yet, but there was something about the way he looked at her, the way he touched her, that told her more than any words how much he desired her. The man made her feel beautiful.

Mike returned holding his phone. ‘Sorry, I took a moment to put the food in the fridge. I don’t like my dates to end with food poisoning. Or to start with it. Really, food poisoning is unwelcome at all stages.’ He handed over his phone to her, the screen showing the part of his medical file that listed his test results, which were when he’d said they were, and were indeed negative.

‘I don’t know – I’ve had some dates where I would have welcomed food poisoning,’ she said, staring at the screen. Relief seeped into her that he’d been telling her the truth. ‘Do you want to see mine? After Andrew…well, I requested them again after the antibiotics just to make sure.’

Mike shook his head, taking the seat next to her on the bed. ‘Only if it would make you feel better for me to see them. With your history, I trust this wouldn’t be something you’d lie about. I also bought condoms today. They’re in the bedside drawer.’

She handed him back his phone. ‘Very prepared.’

‘Just hopeful.’

‘Thank you, for all of this.’

He was watching her now, eyes assessing. ‘What else do you need, Sophie?’

She gave a little laugh, the sound coming out tinny and false to her ears. ‘Am I that transparent?’

‘No,’ he said slowly. ‘I don’t think you are. I just know you.’

She dropped her gaze, suddenly very interested in the floor. ‘I think we should set expectations.’

He leaned back on his hands, his expression thoughtful. ‘What does that mean to you?’

‘You’re only in New York for what, two or three more weeks?’

He nodded. ‘More or less – possibly a little more.’

‘What if we didn’t think about after that? Neither of us are very sure what we want long term, and I’d like this to be a pleasant memory when we’re done.’ She frowned slightly. ‘Do you think that’s cold?’

He watched her, his expression thoughtful. ‘No, I don’t think it’s cold. Smart, probably, because you’re right.’ His voice softened. ‘I want this to be a good memory, too. I’d like to think we’ll be friends in the end, no matter what.’

‘So we have fun while you’re here. Enjoy our time. When you leave for the airport, we can let it naturally transition into whatever we want. Not a hard and fast rule, but at least we’re on the same page.’

‘I can live with that.’

They regarded each other quietly, neither of them speaking. Sophie couldn’t help but notice that Mike’s ardour had, ah,cooled. ‘I killed the mood, didn’t I?

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