Second Chance - Jane Green [28]
‘I know. I was hoping I might get lucky.’
Holly raised an eyebrow. ‘Play your cards right and you just never know.’
They had a quiet, candlelit table in the corner of the room. For anyone other than Holly and Tom it would have been absurdly romantic, but instead of murmuring sweet nothings across the table, they chatted nineteen to the dozen and kept bursting into splutters of laughter over shared jokes.
They fought over the crème brûlée, clashing forks like swords as they each battled to get more, and when Tom pulled up outside Holly’s flat, he did as he usually did, walking up the stairs with her for one last coffee.
It was a perfect evening. Neither one had fallen in love with the other, both of them just enjoying each other’s company, no false expectations leading to disappointment.
Holly sank into the sofa next to Tom and threw her legs over his.
‘Careful,’ Tom said with a grin. ‘You wouldn’t be leading me on, would you?’
‘Not bloody likely,’ she said, sipping her coffee. ‘I’ve learnt my lesson too many times before, thank you very much.’
‘I’ve often wondered…’ Tom said, not looking at Holly but focusing on her lilac Ghost-clad legs instead ‘… what it would be like to kiss you.’
‘Oh stop it.’ Holly burst out laughing. ‘Don’t tell me tonight you’re actually going to make a pass at me?’
Tom shrugged and grinned. ‘I was thinking about it.’
‘Go on, then.’ She raised an eyebrow, knowing this wasn’t going to happen – there was no sexual tension, no heat, no admissions of sexual attraction. ‘I dare you.’
For a few seconds neither of them moved, Holly about to burst into laughter again with an I knew you were just faking, and then slowly Tom put down his coffee and turned back to face her, and all of a sudden she wasn’t laughing any more.
It was the slowest, most tentative, most thrilling kiss she had ever had. Even as his lips first met hers she didn’t think it was happening, was still sitting there with a smile, not expecting Tom to really go through with it.
Soft, gentle, just the feeling of his lips on hers, and her smile disappeared. Then again, the kisses on her upper lip, her lower, until she dared lick his upper lip, ever so gently, and there they were. Kissing. Arms reaching up to stroke a face, trace a cheek, fingers running smoothly down the nape of a neck.
‘Holly.’ A whispered sigh from Tom.
‘Sssh.’ Holly dissolved into him, then pulled back to look at him. Tom. Her Tom. Gazing up at her through half-closed eyes glazed with lust. She didn’t say anything, didn’t want to spoil the moment, and leant down again to kiss him more, quick clever fingers swiftly undoing the buttons on his shirt.
‘Tom.’ A whispered sigh from Holly as she planted kisses on his chest, moved back up to reach his lips.
So familiar. So safe.
So this is what it’s like.
Like coming home.
Tom left before morning. What felt so right and so natural under the cover of darkness started to feel increasingly unnatural as daylight approached.
Tom left Holly sleeping. He stood next to the bed and watched her as she slept, just before he crept out of the door, and he felt an enormous sadness. He’d never truly thought this would happen with Holly. He loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone and however attracted he was to her, you can’t sleep with your best friend and then expect everything to be normal.
You can’t sleep with your best friend and then start dating, going out for dinner, sharing your stories, seeing how it goes.
You can’t sleep with your best friend and be anything other than an immediate ‘couple’. There is no halfway measure. You sleep with your best friend and you have one of two consequences. Either way the friendship is over.
Tom loved Holly, but he didn’t plan this, wasn’t ready for this. He was only twenty-five, not nearly ready to settle down with anyone. Not even Holly. He still had wild oats to sow. Jesus. He shook his head viciously. What on earth was he thinking? But Holly, so lovely in her lilac, so much lovelier later in bed, how could he not? How could any man resist?
And what was he to do now?