seemed to know.”
“Well, Jeannie never liked her, that's all.”
“That's all?”
“Well what else could there be?”
“Well, why? Why didn't she like Catherine?”
“Do you have to keep bringing up that name?” Kurtis did not shout but he was clearly angry. He turned his head so she couldn't see his face and stared out of the window.
“I'm sorry if I said something wrong, but we've only just met and...”
He turned and placed a hand on her thigh.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“I did. Did you?”
“Very much. I like being in your company, Tanya. Jeannie was right, you are a good one and I don't want to mess things up. I also don't want the evening to end.” The car was stopping outside the dry cleaning shop. “Would it be too much to ask if I could come up?”
“I'm glad you did. I'd like that.”
She was too enraptured by his eyes to think about why they'd come close to a fight. She more than liked his company and didn't want the night to end either.
“Kurtis, don't expect too much. The place is like a postage stamp compared to Jeannie's.”
“It's not your apartment I want to see.”
He let the driver go and Tanya unlocked the door next to the dry cleaners. A small corridor led to a narrow stairwell. At the top another door to unlock. As she did so she felt Kurtis nuzzle his face into her neck. She tipped her head to the side, allowed him to kiss the soft skin, and felt his strong arm wrap itself around her waist. He turned her to face him and kissed her as she leaned against the door.
“Come in,” she said pushing the door with her back and leading Kurtis into the living room, their tongues still touching. Walking backwards, they fell onto the sofa in the middle of the room. “Ouch!” she said but did not break away from the kiss.
“What was that?”
“I landed on the book I'm reading.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. He reached below her and pulled the book from under her, tossing it onto the low table. “I’ll get the light.” She reached out a hand which he grabbed and started kissing. His kisses trailed up her arm and towards her bosom.
“Careful, you'll ruin my dress.”
“Well, why not take it off?”
“Why not indeed.”
She got up, unfastened the hook, and slowly released the zip down. Kurtis sat up now and put on the side lamp she'd previously been reaching for. She stood in front of him and lowered her dress so that it fell to the floor around her feet. He held out a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her in closer to him as he sat forward on the sofa.
He began placing soft kisses all over her stomach, caressing the full curves of her hips and working his hands to the soft elastic of her panties.
“This way,” she said and led him to the adjoining room.
Her double bed was brass and it backed onto a window with a netted curtain. She slid backwards onto the silky bedspread as Kurtis stood beside it and removed his clothes. She smiled up at him, taking in the flat, muscular stomach, his chest and arms were taut, with firm muscles. He lay on top of her, sinking a hard kiss into her lips, groaning with excitement and flipping her onto her stomach.
He undid her bra and smoothed the skin over her back. He kissed the back of her neck, making his way to the base of her spine where he stopped to remove her underwear. He continued to kiss her body all the way to her toes before she rolled over and held her arms out to him, pulling him into her, legs wrapped around his waist.
***
Tanya was the first to awaken in the morning. She looked over at Kurtis, who lay on his front with his arms folded under his head. He was facing away from her. She looked at the golden tones to his skin and wanted to run her hands all over him but didn't think it was fair to wake him. Should she do something cliché like prepare a romantic breakfast or maybe they could go out for breakfast.
It was still only six in the morning, a Saturday and she wasn't working that