A Dangerous Affair Chapter 50

Tom is a gentleman... for now.

Tom summoned the waiter and paid the bill before escorting Stephanie back out to his car. The return journey to her house was spent in companionable silence and Stephanie gazed out of the window in a kind of dream, feeling a warm, comfortable sensation as she watched the world whiz by. Tom’s thoughts were focused on the events of the evening and he didn’t anticipate getting any sleep that night, however the realisation of this didn’t seem to bother him in the least.

After pulling up into Stephanie’s driveway he quickly got out of the car and opened the door for her, walking her up the steps to her front door. She took her keys out of her bag, unlocked the front door and then turned to Tom.

“Sorry Steph but you’re going to have to put up with me staying here tonight again. I won’t leave you on your own,” he said adamantly. She nodded. “But I want to do this thing properly and usually you don’t end up with a lodger at the end of a date.” They both laughed. “But I’ll not make any attempts to seduce you or get you into bed…” she looked impressed. “…well not tonight anyway,” he added. She laughed again. “Let’s do the goodnight on the doorstep, pretend that we are going to part ways and then get straight to bed…before temptation takes over,” he grinned.

“Well, I’d like to say that I had a wonderful evening Tom, thank you,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. He caught hold of her face before she pulled away though and gently held it between his hands.

“Now I’m not going to push my luck Stephie, I think I’ve had way more luck that I can believe tonight, but I’d just like one last tiny kiss before you go to bed,” he said with a hopeful expression. She nodded and he bent his head, catching her lips with his and revelling in her nearness for a moment. He moved his head back slightly to gaze into her eyes and, feeling reluctant to let her go just yet, he put his cheek next to hers, turning to kiss the side of her face, her jaw and then her ear.

“You’re a wonderful woman Stephanie. Goodnight sweetheart,” he whispered.

"Goodnight Tom."

She smiled, turned and entered the house, shutting the door behind her. She giggled to herself behind the door and waited for his response. After a few seconds he knocked on the door.

“Steph, you can let me in now!” he called. “I promise to be good!”

The door opened and he walked into the house, just in time to see her dart up the stairs. She felt suddenly full of exhilaration as she ran up the stairs. She burst into her bedroom, shut the door behind her and dived onto her bed, hugging a pillow and staring up at the ceiling as she giggled to herself.

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The following morning Stephanie lay in bed staring up at the ceiling and running the conversations of the previous night through her head for the umpteenth time. It had taken her hours to get to sleep last night and, although she still felt sleepy, she had woken up early and sleep was evading her yet again. How she was going to concentrate on work that day was anyone’s guess but she still had a little more time to daydream before she had to get up so she slid further down underneath the bedclothes with a contented smile.

The sudden sound of the telephone pulled her abruptly out of her reverie and she rolled over to pick up the handset.

“Hello.”

“Hello sweetheart, how are you this bright and beautiful morning?”

“Tom?”

“Yes, were you expecting someone else?”

“Well no but I suppose I’m wondering why you’re phoning me when you are only next door,” she laughed.

“I wanted to ask you if you’re going to come in here for our morning cuddle under the bedclothes,” he replied.

She smiled, not entirely surprised that he’d asked her that. But when they had done that before they hadn’t kissed before, nothing like how they had kissed last night anyway, and she was wary about getting into bed with him now. She had no doubt that things would get heated beyond control if they kissed like they had last night when they were in bed together and she didn’t want to rush into a physical relationship with him.

“Well it’s not really the thing to do the morning after a first date,” she said.

There was a short silence. “I guess so,” he admitted and then smiled. “So we’re dating now then? Is it official?”

She chuckled, “I guess it is.”

He couldn’t believe his ears, or his luck, he was dating Stephanie White! Or Hamilton-Brown, he still thought of her as Stephanie White though.

Stephanie yawned suddenly. “I suppose we should get up soon and get ready for work.”

Tom groaned. “You want to give work a miss today Stephie?”

She laughed. “Great idea. I’ll just have a word with Brick, I’m sure he won’t mind. I’ll just say, ‘Sir, Tom and I don’t really feel like coming into work today so we’re taking the day off. You don’t mind, do you?'”

“Yes, and I’ll add, ‘Me and Stephanie, we’re going to spend a little more time together, getting to know everything about each other. We’ll be starting off with a stroll through the park…”

A warm smile spread across Stephanie’s face. “…and then maybe a picnic by the river,” she added, feeling encouraged by his enthusiasm.

“Yeah, a picnic sounds great. And I’d be on my best behaviour, even though I’d be driving myself nuts holding back from kissing you senseless underneath the crab apple tree!”

She burst into laughter. “That’s very gentlemanly of you Tom.”

“Well, I said I’d be trying, I didn’t say I’d be successful,” he added. She tingled with anticipation at the thought of it. “Look we still have some time before we have to be at work, what do you say I make you and I some breakfast?”

She smiled. “That would be lovely Tom.”

“Okay,” he said, jumping out of bed. “You stay there and I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

“That’s kind of you but I really should be getting up.”

“Actually I have to admit, I was kind of hoping you’d stay there so we could share breakfast in bed,” he laughed.

“Hmm, a good idea Tom but if we both want to keep our jobs we do actually have to get to work today,” She replied without thinking, grimacing as the underlying implication of the statement hit her. Tom picked up on it immediately.

“Ahh, so you have thoughts of keeping me in bed all day long then!” he replied triumphantly. “What the hell, I’ll hand in my resignation! Don’t move out of that bed!”

“I’m getting up now Tom!” she shouted, just before he hung up.