Rachel got gracefully to her feet, and I followed her into the kitchen, sitting down at the table while she pulled pans from the shelf and started to cook. "What's it going to be?" I enquired.
"Wait and see," she said, putting her tongue out at me cheekily.
I tilted my head. "OK. I'll make us a drink."
I got up, picking up the kettle and going to the sink. As I turned again, I reached out and brushed one breast with the back of my hand, getting a grin and a glance of bright eyes before she turned back to what she was doing.
We sat down to eat, and I nodded. "This is great."
Rachel lifted her fork, and I watched as she took her first mouthful, somehow making the movement incredibly sensual. She chewed, then swallowed, and raised her eyebrows at me. "What?" she asked, smiling lazily.
I chuckled. "You're very distracting. You do want me to notice your cooking skills, don't you?"
She tossed her head, her eyes teasing. "I'm sure you can manage both."
I carried on watching her. To my surprise, I found I could manage to eat and to appreciate the show she was giving me at the same time. Finally I put down my fork on my empty plate, and pushed my chair back. "Want to get more comfortable?"
"Don't you want dessert?" she grinned.
I raised my eyebrows. "Of course - if it's you."
Rachel shook her head, smiling. "Patience, patience."
She got up, going to the freezer, and brought out a tub of ice cream, serving a generous scoop for each of us. She sat opposite me again, and started to eat, deliberately letting a dribble of melted ice cream escape her lips. She caught the dribble with a finger, and used her tongue to lick it off from base to fingertip. "Mm."
Finally her bowl was empty, and she slid her chair back. "Now, where were we?"
We returned to the living room, and Rachel knelt at the hearth, kindling the fire I'd laid earlier. She stretched out on the rug, and patted the space next to her.
I joined her, propping myself up on one elbow and sliding my other arm across her stomach. "OK, you said it was your turn."
Rachel smiled in the firelight. "Hmm, let me see... Oh, I know."
She put her hand on mine. "Remember when you were having a horrible time at work? You were working such long hours, and when you got in you just wanted to sleep."
I nodded. "I'm sorry, darling, I know I wasn't great company for a while."
"There was one time," she continued, "it was a Friday, wasn't it, and you'd called me to say that for once you wouldn't have to go in the next day. So I decided I'd find a way to make you forget about work completely."
She chuckled softly. "I think you were a little surprised when I opened the door to you wearing nothing but my nΓ©gligΓ©e."
"It certainly got my attention," I confessed with a smile.
"So I didn't even speak, I just held out my hand, and when you took it I led you upstairs."
"Like a lamb," I agreed.
"So when we got to the bedroom, I took your tie off, then started unbuttoning your shirt. By the time I got to the last button I was on my knees, and I just carried on undressing you."