Page 24 of Daydreams at the Farm on Muddypuddle Lane
Maisie hoped, for Adam’s sake, that the flat was in better nick, and she could understand why he wanted to move but at the same time she was envious that he was able to rent a place of his own. She wished she could afford to.
Far from being dingy, the tiny hall and the stairs leading to the livingaccommodation above, were clean and bright, with white walls and a wooden staircase. And when Adam showed her into the flat, she was delighted.
It was a bit blokey for her taste, being sparse and lacking in soft furnishings, but it was as neat as a pin (as her mum would say) and was spotlessly clean.
An L-shaped black leather sofa dominated the living room, and a TV hung on the wall opposite. An old-fashioned LP player sat on a rack of industrial-looking shelves, along with a selection of books and a potted plant. A staircase led to the top floor and, she assumed, the bedroom.
The flat was bigger than she had expected, and another twinge of envy twisted in her stomach. Maisie would give her right arm to live in a place like this –even if it did have a dirty garage-cum-workshop underneath.
‘Coffee or tea? Or I’ve got a bottle of pale ale if you’re interested.’
‘Coffee, please.’ She dropped her bag and jacket on the arm of the sofa and followed him out to the kitchen. This, too, was immaculate: not a dirty mug or a used spoon in sight. ‘Are you always this tidy?’ she asked.
‘Yeah.’ He fired up an impressive-looking coffee machine. ‘Just because I’m a guy living on my own, doesn’t mean I’m a slob.’ His wry smile took the sting out of his words.
‘I need to take a leaf out of your book,’ Maisie muttered. ‘I’m the slobby one in my family.’
‘I’m sure you’re not as bad as that.’
‘Oh, I am, believe me. Although, I seem to have turned over a new leaf since coming to Picklewick.’
‘Trying to impress Dulcie?’
‘You could say that.’
When the drinks were ready they took them into the lounge, but Maisie hadn’t managed to take a single sip of hers before Adam slid across the sofa and kissed her.
This was no brief flutter of the lips; this was a passionate, toe-curling, breath-stopping kiss.
The shock of it went right through her before settling deep inside, leaving her trembling with desire. She slowly slid down onto the sofa until she lay on herback, Adam above, holding his weight on one arm until she pulled him down. His body covering hers, her fingers crept underneath his shirt to caress his back, and at her touch he shifted position with a groan and continued to kiss her deeply for several deliciously long minutes.
Maisie wasn’t sure how far she would have allowed things to go, but she didn’t get the chance to find out.
‘Stop, stop,’ Adam moaned, dragging his mouth away from hers.
He pushed himself upright and sat back. His hair was tousled, his shirt raised on one side, and he was breathing hard. He looked delectable, and Maisie wanted to eat him whole.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, his voice hoarse. ‘I got carried away for a moment.’
Maisie adjusted her top and shifted into a sitting position. ‘So did I.’
‘It was only supposed to be coffee.’
Her smile was small. ‘We both knew it was going to be more than that.’
‘But I don’t want you to think I lured you here under false pretences.’
‘I don’t. Anyway, I could have stopped you sooner, but I didn’t want to.’
He opened his mouth, but whatever he was about to say was lost by the ringing of his phone. ‘Dear god,’ he muttered. ‘I sure know how to kill the mood, don’t I?’
‘Are you going to answer it?’
He checked the screen. ‘It’s my mother.’
They exchanged sympathetic glances as he accepted the call.
‘Hi, Mum.’
