I put down my empty plate and took a sip of water. Yes, because I was thirsty, but also because I was too warm.

“The sauce looks great,” I told him, and he glanced up.

“Yeah? You should come over again tomorrow. I’m makin’ a Ruby Murray.”

“Oh, my God, you’re such a Cockney sometimes.” I mock-cringed.

Lee grinned impishly. “You don’t like it?”

“Danny Dyer doesn’t really do it for me.”

“You lie. All the ladies love a bit of the Danny. They want him to take them down the rub-a-dub and dip his Hampton Wick in their Morris Minors.”

I almost wheezed, I laughed so hard. “That’s truly awful. Please don’t ever talk dirty to me in Cockney again. It’ll put me off sex for life.”

Lee was laughing too, his face handsome as he raised his hands. “Okay, understood. We wouldn’t want to put you off sex.”

“And why’s that?” I asked, suddenly feeling flirtatious.

“Because you get the orgasm version of hangry. If I don’t make you come, you’re in a right mood.”

“Shut up! That’s not true.”

“Happened a few times, Snap,” he asserted teasingly.

“Oh, you’re a little liar.” My expression showed my annoyance, and he looked pleased as punch that he was riling me. Clearly, that had been his intention all along.

After we ate the mini steaks, and I told Lee which version of his béarnaise recipe I preferred, he grabbed two beers from the fridge and brought me upstairs where there was a rooftop terrace. It was only a two-story building, so you couldn’t exactly see for miles, but it was still nice. The weather was mild, and the sky was starting to darken.

Lee popped open the bottles, handed one to me, and took a long swig of his own. We sat side by side on folding chairs, our feet propped up on an old wooden bench.

“I like it here,” I said, breaking the quiet.

“Yeah? I’m gonna get some of those funky coloured lights and hang them over the fencing, set up a few outdoor heaters and get some deck furniture. Make a nice little outdoor dining area.”

“Sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into it.”

“If you’re gonna do something, might as well do it right,” said Lee, tipping his bottle to mine.

“I’ll drink to that.”

We sat in quiet for a few minutes, letting the nighttime city noises wash over us. Lee had pulled his chair up close to mine, so our shoulders were only inches apart.

My hair was up in a ponytail and my old T-shirt hung lazily off one shoulder. I was vaguely aware of a feathery sensation before realising it was Lee’s lips brushing just below my hairline. Letting out a low sigh, I tilted my head farther to the side to grant him more access.

“You know I love you, right?” he whispered, shocking me out of my reverie. My heart pounded, and I momentarily lost the ability to breathe. He’d told me he loved me once, while drunk beyond belief, but this was different. This time I knew it was true. Emotion clogged my throat, blocking my voice, and I felt wetness prick at my eyes.

“I know,” I finally managed to whisper.

“I understand if you can’t say it back yet. I just wanted to tell you how I feel.”

Involuntarily my mouth dropped open as I stared him. How could he ever think I didn’t feel just as strongly for him as he did for me?

“Lee,” I said, my voice scratchy, “I know I never admitted it, but I started falling for you a long time ago. It was impossible not to.”

I saw him hesitate, his face stoic as he watched me. I knew what he was waiting for. He needed me to say the words. After a moment that felt like forever, I managed to muster the courage.

“I love you, too,” I said, and he reached over to caress my cheek.

“Yeah?” he asked, his eyes searching mine like I might change my mind between one second and the next.

“Yeah,” I whispered.

In quick succession, he took both our bottles and set them down on the bench. Then he was back, his mouth devouring my neck, kissing and nipping in a way that sent tremors throughout my entire body. How was it that a few carefully placed kisses could reduce me to a quivering, breathless pile of need?

Lee tugged me over to sit on his lap, dragging my mouth to his and kissing me with a relaxed, confident sort of urgency. The spot between my legs ached to be touched while his erection dug into my hip. Before I knew it, I was straddling him, and he’d pulled the tie from my hair, letting the strands fall around my shoulders.

I was delirious with arousal, needing his mouth everywhere at once. Lee shoved my calf-length skirt up around my waist, his hands finding my underwear and hastily pushing the fabric to one side. When he slid a finger down my folds, he broke our kiss, leaned back, and stared up at me.

“You’re fucking beautiful,” he said, his voice fierce.

I let out a weak moan, my breaths quickening.

“I’m going to watch you come,” Lee went on. “I bet it’ll be fast.”

He wasn’t wrong. I’d been without sex for months, and being around him for the last few days had me wired. I was in woeful need of a release. Lee pushed two fingers inside me, and I savoured the feeling of fullness while he began rubbing my clit with his thumb. Enjoying the pressure, I closed my eyes, and his other hand slid beneath my T-shirt, pulling down the cup of my bra and palming my breast. He moulded it with his hand, then plucked my beaded nipple, causing me to shudder, ever closer to orgasm. His thumb flicked lazily back and forth. I opened my eyes just as I was about to come, locked gazes with Lee, and shook as pleasure overtook me.

“So fucking beautiful,” he repeated, devouring me with his stare.

Once my orgasm faded, I snuggled close to him, breathing in his scent. His hand was still on my breast, and he absentmindedly massaged it as we sat there in the afterglow.

I was disappointed when he gently moved me, helping us both to stand, and said, “I should get you home.”

I wanted to pout and complain like a child, wanted to beg him to take me right there on the roof, but I had to maintain some measure of decorum. So instead I nodded and followed him back down to the kitchen, where I’d left my jacket and handbag.

I was standing by the counter, gathering my things, when I felt his heat at my back.

“Ah, fuck taking it slow,” said Lee, his hands at my waist. I gasped when he pushed my skirt up again, this time pulling my underwear off and stuffing it in his pocket. All of a sudden I was reminded of our first time, in the dark of the crowded nightclub, absorbing one another like it was our last night on earth. We’d been so desperate for each other back then, had spent so long in a dance, playing a game without any set rules or guidelines.

Lee’s hand clutched my neck, his mouth at my ear as he asked, “Do you want me?”

“Yes,” I whimpered.

His hold on me wasn’t gentle, and I savoured the hint of pain. With his other hand, he undid his belt and shoved down his jeans. When I felt his warm cock brush my arse, I arched my spine, seeking. His breath stuttered out of him, like he was having a hard time keeping it together.

“So perfect,” he growled right before he gave me a light slap on the bottom.

“I need you. Now,” I breathed, my voice airy and light.

His hands roamed up my back, removing my bra and letting it drop unceremoniously to the floor. Everywhere he touched me, I shivered. When he cupped my bottom with both hands, his thumb slipping into the crease and smoothing over a forbidden place, I shuddered, my eyes fluttering closed.

His cock brushed my entrance teasingly, hands gripping me now as he pushed inside in one hard stroke. When he was embedded deep in me he stilled, his mouth on my nape, planting wet little kisses that got me going even more.

We were both still standing, the sensation more intense that way. Lee’s hips began to move, hammering in and out quickly as he unleashed his need for me. One hand came up to mould my breast, the other spread out flat on my stomach, holding me in place. I arched my spine, letting him in as deep as he could go.