Falling like Rain

[...]

The rain was falling heavily as we stepped out of the pub. We huddled close and began to walk. The wind blew the rain hard into our faces. I could feel the dampness seeping through my shirt and through Alison's T-shirt as I held her close to me. She stopped walking and turned to face me, rain trickling down her face. She laughed and kissed me hard on the lips. I picked her up and spun her around in my arms, laughing. I could taste the rain on her lips.

We arrived back at the house soaked and dripping. Alison turned to me, rain running down her face from her hair. ‘Have you got a large towel I could use? Mine is probably still soaking wet from this morning.’

‘Yes, sure. You go to your room and I'll bring one up.’ I turned into my room as Alison climbed the stairs, leaving damp footprints on the carpet.

I quickly changed out of my soaking wet clothes, leaving them lying on the floor, and grabbed a couple of towels. Still fastening my shirt one-handed, I started to climb the stairs. I could hear the wind hammering the rain against the front door.

Alison was standing in front of the wardrobe sorting out some dry clothes when I walked into her room. She was still wearing her soaked T-shirt and jeans. I held out the towel to her. She shook her head, pulled off her T-shirt and dropped it on the floor. She shivered and I saw her nipples harden. She let her jeans drop to the floor.

Naked except for pale blue knickers, she walked towards me. I held out a towel and wrapped it around her. She looked up at me and I kissed her. She took the other towel from me and wrapped her hair in it. I started rubbing her back and shoulders under the towel.

Alison looked over her shoulder at me. She smiled for a moment, then put her hand over mine, stopping its movement. The smile dropped from her face and she looked across the room. She shook her head slowly.

Wrapping the towel around herself, she walked across to the window, leaving me standing in the middle of the room. My hand was still raised as though her shoulder remained beneath it. I let it drop.

‘I'll bring the towel down later.’ She stared out at the wind and rain lashing the treetops.

I stood for a moment, waiting for some words to come to my lips, but I could think of nothing to say. ‘There's no hurry,’ I said eventually, and turned to the door.

‘Isn't there?’ Alison said as the door closed behind me.

[…]

[Extract from Hanging Around Until]