Page 93 of Match Point

The way he feels, how he’s taking all my weight, the thrill of where we are, his gravelly voice in my ear, him calling me that name like I’m his – it’s all too much. As soon as he makes that request, it’s game over and the uncontrollable pleasure is rippling through my body while he drives deeper into me, groaning into my neck, unravelling in unison.

Our breath comes together in a chorus of short, shaking rasps, as Kieran carefully lowers me onto my feet. I grip his forearms for balance, my body still a melting, quivering mess. I close my eyes and slump back against the lockers, running my hands through my hair as he pulls his shorts back on. His chest rising heavily, he closes the gap between us to kiss me gently while I continue to catch my breath. Since I’m in no hurry to emerge from my blissful daze, he thoughtfully adjusts my dress for me, pulling it back down and checking the straps are in place on my shoulders.

Having faded into a blur, the world starts to return into focus.

I clear my throat. ‘I should… um… go. I don’t want to get you in trouble and you probably want to… celebrate your win with the team.’

He offers me a playful smile, tucking my hair behind my ear. ‘I think we just celebrated pretty well.’

‘Hm.’ My cheeks flushing, I bite my lip.

He gazes into my eyes so intently that it makes my pulse race, just when I was starting to get it back under control. It’s not fair him looking at me like that when he’s still topless, his toned muscular chest and abs on show. My mind is drifting again.

‘I really should go,’ I say out loud, trying to persuade myself to take the first step away from him but finding it near to impossible. ‘And you really should… do whatever it is you do once you’ve got through to the semi-finals of Wimbledon.’

‘Okay.’ He grins, amused by my awkwardness, dipping his head to give me one final kiss before I finally manage to break free of his spell and make my way back to the door.

‘Flossie?’ he calls out as I reach it, and I spin round to face him. ‘I’ll see you at home.’

I nod, convincing myself to get out of there before the temptation to run back to him grows too much to fight. As I shut the door behind me, check down the empty corridor, and stroll as breezily as possible back towards the stairs, I feel proud of myself for finding the strength to leave him looking like that.

It’s not until I walk into the flat later that I process what he said as I left.

He called it home.

25

‘Flora broke my heart by DUMPING me for rich tennis hunk’: Ex-boyfriend of Kieran O’Sullivan’s rumoured new love FINALLY breaks his silence

*

‘Kieran, you really didn’t need to come back early from training,’ I sigh, placing my hand on his arm as he comes to sit next to me on the sofa. ‘You have the semi-finals tomorrow! This isn’t important. I told you I’m fine. It’s okay, please go back to practice.’

‘It is not okay,’ he counters, before turning to Nicole with a murderous expression. ‘What options does she have to fix this? Can we get them to take down the article?’

From the armchair by the window, Nicole sets down her cup of tea. ‘I’m afraid Jonah has every right to speak to the press and give his version of events. They use the word “allegedly” throughout, and all the stated allegations are quotes from him. There’s nothing we can do but release Flora’s own side of the story, if that’s what she wants to do, but she’s told me she doesn’t want that.’

‘I don’t want that,’ I tell him firmly. ‘I’m going to leave it.’

‘So he gets away with it,’ Kieran snaps, jumping to his feet and stalking over to the mantelpiece, rubbing his chin, irritated. He spins round with an intense look of outrage in his eyes. ‘He can say all these things about you and there are zero consequences!’

‘You know the drill better than anyone, Kieran,’ I point out, frowning at him. ‘It’s best I do nothing. The things he said aren’t that bad. Okay, it’s not great he’s made it out as though I dumped him for you and there are implications that I cheated… and lied, obviously, but he also says we had a loving three-year relationship. That’s something.’

‘A relationship that, according to his story, you viciously destroyed in favour of my riches and fame,’ Kieran seethes, clenching his fists.

Watching him pace about the room all flared up, it occurs to me that he seems much angrier about this article than all the articles that came out about him after the incident at Warren House, and although I don’t want him to be so upset and cross, there’s something really quite sweet and old-school about how much he wants to protect my honour. I shouldn’t like seeing him like this, all riled up and angry on my behalf, but I do. I can take care of myself, but it’s sexy witnessing how much he wants to protect me.

‘Kieran, this will blow over. Anyone can see that it’s an embarrassing and desperate attempt from an ex-boyfriend to get publicity for his new play,’ I point out, offering a weak smile when he glances over at me to try to reassure him. ‘He mentions it, like, ten times in the interview. He’s playing a jilted lover, so he was able to use his experience from our relationship to get into character.’

‘He’s shameless,’ Kieran mutters bitterly.

‘Yeah, and it shows. He’s having his fifteen minutes.’ I turn to appeal to Nicole. ‘Wouldn’t you agree?’

‘Absolutely.’ She nods, smiling encouragingly at me. ‘I’m sorry that this has happened, but I agree that the best way to handle this is silence. We don’t want to draw more attention to it by making it a he said/she said situation. We let it blow over and be forgotten.’

‘How can he get away with such baseless lies?’ Kieran fumes, running his hands through his hair. ‘Don’t they fact-check anything?’

‘They asked Flora for comment,’ Nicole informs him. ‘That’s their way of checking.’

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