‘I don’t even know your surname,’ Nick said, and then ran his tongue over the shell of Ella’s ear.
She shivered. ‘I thought you would have looked on the card. I was thinking that you would have looked on the card and then used it to find me and ask me out.’
Nick shifted on the bed and kissed down the side of her neck.
‘I did ask you out.’
Ella pulled her head back so she could look at him. ‘You did not!’
He grinned. ‘I did! In the shop!’
‘I think I would’ve remembered.’ She let her head drop back on the pillow again.
He kissed across her chest to her other collarbone. ‘I asked for your number.’
‘When?’
He moved back again to dip his tongue into the hollow of her throat and she bucked up against him involuntarily.
‘Shit,’ she murmured. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t apologise,’ he said and she could hear the smile in his voice. ‘Do it again.’
‘God,’ she said.
She pushed one hand into the back of his hair. It was so soft. Ridiculously soft. Softer than hers. She’d have to ask him what conditioner he used. She tightened her fingers and he groaned.
‘I like that,’ he said, kissing back up the other side of her neck.
‘Nick.’
‘What?’ He lifted up and looked down at her. He had really pretty eyes.
‘I’m not good at this,’ Ella said.
‘You’re doing pretty well so far,’ he said. ‘I’m all flustered.’
She laughed. ‘You’re so weird.’
He kissed her quickly on the mouth. ‘And you’re so fucking gorgeous I can’t believe I’m here with you. I’ve had a raging crush on you since you first came in the shop and did your turn. I’ve been thinking about this for so long that I’m half worried this is actually a dream and I’ll have to wake up and seduce you all over again.’
Ella laughed. ‘You seduced me?’
‘Well … I’m not done yet. But I’m working on it.’ He kissed her quickly again. ‘How am I doing so far?’
Something that felt like butterflies ran through Ella’s body and she gripped Nick’s arms to ground herself. ‘Pretty good.’
‘Good,’ he said, his face turning serious. And then he was kissing her again. He was an excellent kisser. Perfect pressure. Not too much tongue. And this was the problem. She was thinking about how he kissed her instead of just letting herself enjoy the kiss. She sighed into his mouth and he pulled back again.
‘I’m thinking too much,’ she said, before she could change her mind. ‘I was just wondering what conditioner you use. And now I’m thinking about how you kiss instead of just, you know, kissing you back.’
Nick rolled off her and she grabbed at his arm again. ‘No. I’m sorry.’
He reached for her hand and slid his fingers between hers. ‘What can I do? Do you want to talk for a bit? Do you want me to be so sexy you can’t resist me? Do you want me to lie here and let you have your wicked way?’
Ella rolled onto her side so they were facing each other. ‘I like you.’
He grinned. ‘I like you too. Is this too much? Do you want me to take you home?’
‘No! God, no. I’m having a good time. Unless … I mean, unless you want me to go?’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘Fuck no. I finally got a girl back here. I need you to at least stay until my roommates see you.’
‘Fuck off,’ she said, biting her lip to stop herself laughing. ‘As if you haven’t had loads of girls back here.’
‘Oh, that was weak.’ He grinned. ‘If you want to know my number, you should just ask.’
‘God,’ Ella said, turning her face into the pillow. ‘I don’t need to know your number. Unless it’s none. Or, like, thousands.’
‘It’s definitely somewhere between none and thousands,’ Nick said. ‘And that reminds me. I asked you out. You blanked me. I still don’t know your surname. I feel like if we get these things sorted out you’ll be able to relax and enjoy my moves.’
Ella rolled her eyes, laughing. She wanted to touch him, wanted to run her finger along his nose. Or press her thumb against his jaw. Or stroke his eyebrows. She reached for his hand instead and he immediately tangled his fingers with hers.
‘When did you ask me out?’ she said instead.
‘I asked for your number. When you bought the book. In the shop. Where I work. And where we first met.’
‘I remember,’ Ella said, smiling. ‘But you didn’t ask for my number.’
‘I did. Literally as you were paying. I asked for your number. You paid. Bade me a cheery thank-you and fucked off, only narrowly avoiding knocking over a table of The Norton Shakespeare, which would have been a nightmare because the pages of those books are tissue-paper thin, and –’
‘My PIN number!’ Ella said. ‘I thought you were asking for my PIN number, you dick.’
‘Harsh.’
‘How is it harsh? I literally had my card in the machine and you ask for my number? What was I supposed to think?’
Nick bit his bottom lip. ‘Now that you put it like that, yes, I can see how the misunderstanding occurred.’
Ella laughed and rolled on top of him, pressing her nose to his. ‘At least we got there in the end.’