“You mean—sleep in my bed?”
“Where else do you suggest… on the floor?”
“Well, no. I didn’t mean that. I don’t know what they’d say…” He floundered; excited, frightened and acutely conscious of wanting her in an overpowering way.
“Oh, I’d go early,” she said indifferently. “They needn’t know unless you tell them.”
“No… I suppose not.”
This was fantastic, he thought. She’s offering to sleep with me, and I’m behaving like an idiot. He was suddenly stricken by tremendous shyness. This wasn’t the way he had imagined it at all. In his imagination he had slept with many lovely women, but it was only after a long and arduous courtship. That really was the most exciting thing about love. Now that she was being so cold-blooded about it, he felt frightened, although his desire was at fever heat.
“Then you don’t mind?” she said impatiently. “Make up your mind. Can I stay?”
He moved slowly towards the bed.
“Of course,” he said, standing over her. “I—I’d love you to, Cora.”
This was the first time he had used her name. It gave him great pleasure. Cora! It was a lovely name