Jack picked up the phone and as he expected, it went straight to answerphone.

“Hi, Rainn,” he said, trying to sound upbeat.  “It’s Jack.  Hope you are doing well.  I’m in central London, filming on location.  Anyway, I’ve got a suite in The Shard.  Ever been there?  Wow.  It’s an amazing view.  Feels like you can see the whole of London from here.  It would be nice to describe it for you.  I could send a taxi, if you liked.  Well, anyway, it would be nice to see you again.”

Jack ended the call as the traffic around him began to move.  Shit, he thought, maybe she would hear he had called from his car.  He hadn’t thought of that.  She probably would, as well, with her crazy bat ears.

Much to his surprise, he received an SMS not long later.

“I will be going into central with my sister.  Yes, it would be nice to visit The Shard.  And to meet you.  We will be there at 2.”

Great, he thought.  It might be worth paying for a room after all.

Jack waited for them in lobby of the hotel.  He got himself a whiskey to calm his nerves even though he wasn’t sure what he was nervous about.  Every time the lift doors opened he glanced up. When Rainn and Yvonne eventually appeared, he felt almost dizzy.

“Jesus, Jack, get a grip,” he told himself.  

He walked over to them and kissed them both and gave Rainn a hug.  They chatted about how busy London was and how it was difficult to get anywhere these days. Yvonne suddenly announced, “Well, I’ll leave you two to it.  Let you have a nice talk.”

Yes, a nice talk, thought Jack as they travelled in the lift up the endless floors.  How was that nice talk going to go?  So, Rainn, sorry about the rough, violent sex I subjected you to the other day.  I realize that’s ruined the way we see each other and spoiled the very lovely thing we have.  However, it seems I have an unhealthily addictive personality and I coped with what happened between us by getting drunk and taking drugs with my cynical, gold digger girlfriend.  

They kept going up as London scrolled behind them.

“It’s a long way,” said Rainn.  “My stomach feels like it’s down near my feet.”

Jack led her to the hotel room door and fumbled a little with the lock.  He still had no idea what he was going to say or how he was going to play this.  He would fix himself a drink first, that seemed like the best plan of action.

“The room’s got a full-length window.  Not much chance of anyone being able to look in at this height.  Unless it’s an airliner.  It’s incredible really.  You can see for miles.”

“I can see for miles?” said Rainn, sharply.

“I’m sorry,” said Jack.  “What I meant was . . .”

But he didn’t have chance to finish his sentence because Rainn had taken his arm from her back and twisted it sharply down.  With her other hand she had pushed him back against the gold glass of the window.  Jack was quite taken by surprise and; his back thudded against the window, half a mile above the London streets.  

Rainn grabbed him by the shirt and pressed her body up against him. If he had the chance, Jack would have smiled at Rainn’s attempt to take control. Before he could, she had kissed him angrily on the lips.

Jack leaned back, letting Rainn pull off his shirt.  She then worked away his pants as well.  Jack span around, so that Rainn was against the window.  Reaching down grabbed both her knees and pulled them up so they were round his waist.  Momentarily, he sensed her embarrassment as she tried to loosen his grip.

“I want you,” he told her.  “Here.  Like this.  And I know you want it too.”

Rainn reached out her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs tightly around his back.  Jack was too excited now for doing anything slowly.  He released himself and Rainn gasped as Jack thrust at her, pushing her ass hard against the window.

Jack pulled her panties to one side and lifted her into position.  They kissed tenderly and Jack looked into her face and delicately stroked her eyelids.  Then he let her slide down the window and onto him.  He filled her so completely, Rainn let out a gasp of surprise.  He began to thrust into her, feeling her body press against the window.

At the same time his hands searched over her body.  He caressed her back and the back of her thighs.  He dropped his mouth down to taste her breasts, seeking out her nipples.  It felt to Rainn that he was all over her and she moaned her encouragement.

She felt as if she were flying high in the London sky, with Jack pushing into her, pressing her every upwards.  Her head was spinning, and she was unsure where she was.  Rainn dug her fingers into Jack’s back and hung on for dear life.   

Then he lifted her away from the window and carried her across the room.

“Wait,” Rainn said. “What are you doing?”

“Trust me,” said Jack. “You must give control to me.”

He laid her down on the carpeted floor and held her there, pinning her arms to the floor with his hands.  He pushed open her thighs and entered her again, maintaining a rhythm of long, slow strokes. Rainn lifted her legs until they were almost around his shoulders, encouraging him to go deeper.  

Jack took one hand away from her arm and brought it down between her legs, where she throbbed with pleasure.  Rainn almost screamed as she gulped the air.   

Now Jack was holding the backs of her thighs, forcing them upwards so that he could reach further into her.  His movements were becoming more fevered and she could feel his breathing, powerful like an engine.  He was slamming his body into her now, harder and harder and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.  He plunged into her like a mad man: like a man who had nothing left to live for.  Their movement built towards an inevitable crescendo and she rushed towards it gratefully.  The pressure inside her built like a silent scream. All his muscles seemed to give way at once, as did hers; everything that was tensed turned to warm jelly. Inside, Rainn felt as if a pane of glass had been shattered into a million pieces.  

They lay on the carpet for a long time listening to each other’s breathing.  Then it came upon them, the slow realization that what they had done was not compatible with the people they were outside the moment.

The conversation was stilted and both of them felt awkward.  Neither wanted to stay in the place where it had happened.

Jack went to the bathroom while Rainn gathered her things.  He washed his face.  He knew what he had to do.

“I have a girlfriend,” he said “and I don’t think I can leave her.”

He waited to see what Rainn would say.  She said nothing.

“I have feelings for you, but I hate to do this with you when I know it’s not right.”

“No,” said Rainn, calmly.  “You should not.”  

Jack watched her carefully, he could see the emotion she tried to contain betrayed by the slight shaking of her shoulders.

“That’s the way it is,” he said, firmly and with no hint of emotion.  “I’m sorry,” he said again.

“There’s no need to apologize,” said Rainn.  “There’s no need to say any more.  Please don’t come with me.  I will see myself out.  The only way from here is down.”

Jack opened the door for her and watched her as she lightly touched her fingers against the walls of the corridor, striding purposefully to the lift.  He was relieved that she had not seen the tears he had been crying.