drip ice cream all over the seats,’ he warned. ‘This is a hire car. I need to give it back in good condition when I leave the city.’
They ate their ice cream in companionable silence. His explanation of why he’d elected to bring Nina up by himself had left Shefali with a new feeling towards him—a mingled tenderness and respect that made for a dangerous combination with the strong attraction she already felt.
‘You have an ice cream moustache,’ Neil said, and when Shefali tried to rub at her mouth with a tissue he took both her hands in his and held them together while he leaned forward and very, very gently licked the ice cream off.
Too stunned to react, Shefali sat stock-still as he started the car and drove towards her flat.
‘Why did you do that?’ she asked shakily a few minutes later.
Neil shrugged. ‘It seemed like a good idea,’ he said. ‘Look—we’re almost at your place.’
‘There’s a cow right in front of the school gate!’ Shefali squeaked in alarm, all thoughts of kisses driven out of her head by the sight. Cows were common in the city, and so were water buffaloes, and they roamed around the roads at will. Shefali still hadn’t got used to them, though, and pointedly crossed the road whenever she saw a herd approaching.
‘I noticed,’ Neil said gravely. ‘Maybe you could get out and shoo it away so I can park?’
‘No fear,’ she said promptly. ‘You can get out and shoo it away yourself.’
‘I believe they run away if you twist their tails,’ he said, but he got out, and urged the cow away from the gate—without touching its tail—and opened the gate.
‘You can go in now,’ he called out. ‘I’ll leave from here. It’s pretty late.’
Shefali hopped out of the car and came to his side. ‘Won’t you come in for coffee?’ she asked shyly.
Neil shook his head. ‘It’s too late,’ he said. ‘And Nina’s alone with Bela Mashi.’
Now he was definitely prevaricating. Emboldened by his stunt in the car earlier, Shefali leaned a little closer and gently ran a finger up his arm. ‘Nina’ll be asleep already,’ she said softly. ‘Come on. It’s just coffee.’
With a strangled sound of submission Neil slammed the gate shut and followed her up the stairs to her flat. Once inside, Shefali turned to him and slowly put her arms around his neck. Neil started to say something, but she stood on tiptoe and effectively shut him up by pressing her lips to his. For a few seconds he stayed motionless. Wondering where she was getting the courage from, she parted her lips slightly and teased the seam of his mouth with her tongue. His reaction was instantaneous, and he plundered her mouth so eagerly that Shefali was soon gasping for breath.
Sanity returned for a few seconds when Neil drew his head back and said, ‘Shefali, I’m not sure...’ But she silenced him in exactly the same way that had been so successful the first time.
This time it was several minutes before Neil came up for air. And when he did he reached behind her and quickly latched the door. Turning towards her, he collected her up efficiently in his arms and strode through a succession of pale yellow rooms to reach her bedroom.
Later she thought that she couldn’t have called a halt to it even if she’d wanted to—Neil had been like an unstoppable force of nature by then, and she’d trembled a little at the sheer strength of the passion she’d managed to unleash.
Whatever hesitation she felt was soon swept away by a tide of pure sensation—if there was some way she could bottle the feeling, she’d make a fortune—and then Neil started to strip away her clothes and his, and she stopped thinking altogether.
FIVE
It was still dark when Shefali’s eyes flew open, and she automatically reached out for Neil. But his side of the bed was empty. She sat up groggily, switching on her bedside lamp. Neil came in a moment later from the bathroom. He was wearing the jeans he’d worn the night
They ate their ice cream in companionable silence. His explanation of why he’d elected to bring Nina up by himself had left Shefali with a new feeling towards him—a mingled tenderness and respect that made for a dangerous combination with the strong attraction she already felt.
‘You have an ice cream moustache,’ Neil said, and when Shefali tried to rub at her mouth with a tissue he took both her hands in his and held them together while he leaned forward and very, very gently licked the ice cream off.
Too stunned to react, Shefali sat stock-still as he started the car and drove towards her flat.
‘Why did you do that?’ she asked shakily a few minutes later.
Neil shrugged. ‘It seemed like a good idea,’ he said. ‘Look—we’re almost at your place.’
‘There’s a cow right in front of the school gate!’ Shefali squeaked in alarm, all thoughts of kisses driven out of her head by the sight. Cows were common in the city, and so were water buffaloes, and they roamed around the roads at will. Shefali still hadn’t got used to them, though, and pointedly crossed the road whenever she saw a herd approaching.
‘I noticed,’ Neil said gravely. ‘Maybe you could get out and shoo it away so I can park?’
‘No fear,’ she said promptly. ‘You can get out and shoo it away yourself.’
‘I believe they run away if you twist their tails,’ he said, but he got out, and urged the cow away from the gate—without touching its tail—and opened the gate.
‘You can go in now,’ he called out. ‘I’ll leave from here. It’s pretty late.’
Shefali hopped out of the car and came to his side. ‘Won’t you come in for coffee?’ she asked shyly.
Neil shook his head. ‘It’s too late,’ he said. ‘And Nina’s alone with Bela Mashi.’
Now he was definitely prevaricating. Emboldened by his stunt in the car earlier, Shefali leaned a little closer and gently ran a finger up his arm. ‘Nina’ll be asleep already,’ she said softly. ‘Come on. It’s just coffee.’
With a strangled sound of submission Neil slammed the gate shut and followed her up the stairs to her flat. Once inside, Shefali turned to him and slowly put her arms around his neck. Neil started to say something, but she stood on tiptoe and effectively shut him up by pressing her lips to his. For a few seconds he stayed motionless. Wondering where she was getting the courage from, she parted her lips slightly and teased the seam of his mouth with her tongue. His reaction was instantaneous, and he plundered her mouth so eagerly that Shefali was soon gasping for breath.
Sanity returned for a few seconds when Neil drew his head back and said, ‘Shefali, I’m not sure...’ But she silenced him in exactly the same way that had been so successful the first time.
This time it was several minutes before Neil came up for air. And when he did he reached behind her and quickly latched the door. Turning towards her, he collected her up efficiently in his arms and strode through a succession of pale yellow rooms to reach her bedroom.
Later she thought that she couldn’t have called a halt to it even if she’d wanted to—Neil had been like an unstoppable force of nature by then, and she’d trembled a little at the sheer strength of the passion she’d managed to unleash.
Whatever hesitation she felt was soon swept away by a tide of pure sensation—if there was some way she could bottle the feeling, she’d make a fortune—and then Neil started to strip away her clothes and his, and she stopped thinking altogether.
FIVE
It was still dark when Shefali’s eyes flew open, and she automatically reached out for Neil. But his side of the bed was empty. She sat up groggily, switching on her bedside lamp. Neil came in a moment later from the bathroom. He was wearing the jeans he’d worn the night
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