Page 12 of Heart of The Night

I smiled. It was clear from his warm tone that his time with his grandparents had left a lasting impression on him.

‘So I suppose you speak French fluently, then,’ I said. ‘I know Jason does.’

William raised a brow and responded exclusively in the alluring language, but all I could understand was the word chérie. Jason had said it to me before, so I was aware it meant darling.

Heat flooded my face and neck. Trying to calm the rising demands of my libido, I cleared my throat and looked away. ‘I’ve no idea what you just said.’

Sweet laughter erupted from him. ‘I said Mum spoke French to us while we were growing up, and I studied French in school, too. That’s why I wanted to do an exchange year in Paris, to solidify my bilingualism. Have you been to France?’

‘I have. Paris is my favourite city.’

‘Mine too.’

I focused on the course again, realising that others were waiting for us to finish. ‘I took Spanish, though,’ I said as I positioned myself to take the shot. ‘Seemed more practical at the time, but I’ve hardly spoken it since.’

Just as I was about to swing, William spoke up, this time in perfect French. The sound caught me off guard, causing me to exert much more force than I intended. The ball flew past the hole, missing it by several feet.

‘William!’

He laughed.

‘Stop speaking French,’ I chided. ‘I can’t concentrate.’

‘You shouldn’t have exposed yourself like that. I’ll take advantage.’

I glared at him. ‘You said cheap tricks were beneath you.’

His mouth took a cunning shape. ‘An obvious lie. You play dirty, I play dirtier.’

I groaned.

§ § §

As we stepped outside after the farce of my defeat, it became apparent from our hesitation that we were both unsure about what to do next.

‘That was fun,’ I said, and my sigh betrayed how smitten I was. ‘This date has been nothing short of perfect, Will. I’ve had such a lovely time. Thank you.’

A soft smile claimed his lips. ‘I’m happy to hear that.’

The air between us was thick with unspoken words and unexpressed feelings, and I didn’t know if I should make a move or wait for him to make one first.

Looking a bit nervous, William raised a hand and rubbed his neck. ‘Listen, I’m not sure how you’d prefer to proceed from here, but, regardless, I’ve got something for you.’

He reached into his back pocket, and I watched with wide eyes as he withdrew a golden medal adorned with a red ribbon. As he dangled it before me, the light glinted off the digit 1 embossed on its face, while on the reverse side, the initials W.N. were elegantly engraved. It was a custom piece? Just how much thought had he put into this?

‘You might have lost at minigolf,’ he said, ‘but you’ve certainly won my affections.’

Overwhelmed, I stood frozen as he hung it around my neck.

‘I hope you’ll cherish that,’ he said, kissing my forehead gently. As he leaned back, I couldn’t resist the urge any longer. My hands shot up to grab his jaw, and I brought his mouth to mine.

My heart fluttered as our lips met, and I savoured the delicious taste of him. His mouth moved with such uncanny precision, expertly synchronising with mine as if we had always been meant to do this, as if we had been lovers in a past life. The sensation was electric, and I felt myself getting lost in the moment. Time seemed to slow down, and suddenly it was just the two of us, lost in the throes of passion. As the kiss deepened, I was reminded once more that this was how it was supposed to feel – all-consuming and entirely right. I just knew, because I had never experienced anything remotely similar before I met him.

Giving him a chance had indeed been the right decision, which he proved right at that moment. And I had a feeling he would continue to prove it, time and again.

But to my surprise, he suddenly pulled away, groaning. Out of breath, I watched him with worry, wondering if I had done something wrong.

‘Sorry,’ he said and discreetly wiped his mouth. ‘I can’t be doing that right now. You’ve no idea what it does to me.’

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