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That bed was probably never cold

She turned Looked at him At the navy stretch of his boxer shorts as they cut across his perfect stomach, the bump of each muscle and the dark arrow of hair His wide, hard chest, its bones extending out, broken and uneven on one side, perfect on the other The wide trunk of his neck, his stubbled jaw, hair -after face

For a split second she hovered The urge to jus around his waist, to bury herself in all thatthey had shared was as te as her next breath

But she didn’t ain She’d get aith it once, but not another tiain

She shook her head vigorously

‘I can’t I have to go I’s done’

He was looking at her carefully, warily, and then he put his hands down ‘Fair enough You don’t need to explain anything I’ve got a lot on too’

‘Yes, I hope it goes well So, can you call me a cab, please?’

He looked at her, then lifted his phone ‘Send the car,’ he said

He stared at her, his brown berry eyes now glassy and hard The coffee brewing on the hob began to splutter and spill out of the spout

‘It won’t be too long’

The lid of the coffee pot rose up as steam and coffee broke free Matteo reached for it and casually lifted it to the side

‘I can wait downstairs’

‘If you like’

She strode through the hallway, her heels clicking on the tiles, the faces on the walls grinning like clowns now, et out of the apartment, onto the street and out of this stupid dress

She stared at her scarlet reflection in the hallwaywas accompanied by the sonorous bell as the lift slowly climbed closer

‘Wait,’ said a voice, and then Matteo too was in the ers, his big body loose and powerful, his face smooth, his lips closed