Page 2 of Heart of The Night

I stiffened, my eyes widening with instantaneous panic. ‘Shit. I forgot to ask. What do I do?’

She furrowed a neatly plucked brow. ‘What do you mean? What’s the issue?’

‘If I’m spending the night at his, I’ll need clothes to wear in the morning, and bringing a change of clothes now that I haven’t asked seems too forward. Not to mention that I might seem desperate!’ I cringed at the thought.

Olivia rolled her eyes as she sipped on her drink. ‘You’re overthinking it. Just bring a bag. He doesn’t need to know what’s inside. If you don’t want to do that, you could come back here after your date, or he could lend you some clothes of his own – wouldn’t be the first time,’ she said with a smirk.

I inhaled slowly through my nose, nodding. ‘Right, you’re right. It’s not an issue.’

‘This is all so amusing to me,’ she chuckled. ‘You’re something else. All the men you’ve slept with, and you haven’t been on a single date ever. Finally someone’s challenging your commitment issues.’

‘I don’t have commitment issues.’

‘Er, yes, you do.’

‘Maybe a little.’

‘Maybe a lot.’

Chuckling, I walked over to the full-length mirror to judge my outfit: a white, off-the-shoulder summer dress that flowed elegantly over my curves and stopped just below my knees. My chestnut-brown hair cascaded down my back in loose curls, the front locks accentuating my pronounced cheekbones and contrasting with my deep-blue eyes, which seemed to sparkle with exhilaration. I wasn’t wearing much make-up, allowing my freckles to show, but I felt pretty.

‘You look amazing, Cara,’ Olivia said, and I saw her grinning in the mirror. ‘He’ll be drooling all over you.’

I let out a long breath as I smoothed my dress along my waistline. ‘I hope so.’

There was a knock at the door.

‘Yes?’

Jason stepped in, and his light-blue eyes glimmered with brotherly affection as they met mine. ‘Damn, Cara. Will’s a lucky man.’

I turned to him, my heart fluttering with nervous anticipation. ‘You think?’

He raised an eyebrow and looked at Olivia, feigning disappointment. ‘Where’s her confidence gone? I thought you were here to boost it.’

Olivia chuckled and set her glass back on my nightstand. ‘Shut it, Jason. I’m doing my best.’

He folded his strong arms, the fabric of his brown T-shirt hugging the contours of his tall, muscular frame. ‘Well, your best is shit.’

She chortled. ‘As if your brother’s made it easy for me. He’s the one making her doubt herself, so if you’re going to scold someone, scold him.’

Jason grinned and shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘I could, but he’d probably be quite confused.’

I laughed, picturing William’s bemused expression as he grappled with the paradoxical idea that he had somehow erred when his supposed fault lay in being so perfect – so perfect that it made me feel self-conscious.

‘Seriously, though, Cara,’ Olivia said, ‘you’ll be fine. Just try to remember that you’re not alone in this. William is probably just as nervous as you are right now.’

I wrinkled my nose, unconvinced. William being nervous about our date was a flattering thought, but I found it hard to imagine. Could it really be that he was sitting at home right now, mustering up courage the same way that I was? I couldn’t see it. Given his level of self-assurance, he was probably feeling completely relaxed about the evening and what it held. Excited, perhaps, but not nervous. In fact, I couldn’t recall a single instance when I had seen him be that type of nervous.

‘Maybe,’ I said. ‘Either way, I don’t understand myself at all right now.’

Jason chuckled and ran a hand through his short, dark blond hair. ‘I don’t understand this, either. You’ve been spending time together for months now. Just because it’s a proper date, it doesn’t mean things need to be different. Just treat him like you always have.’

That was exactly what I needed to hear. I breathed out in relief. ‘Thanks, J. You’re right. It’s just a date. It’s not like it warrants any panic. He’s still the same man I saw mere hours ago.’

‘He is.’ He nodded and gripped his hips. ‘And you’re going to have an amazing time. Believe me – I know what he’s got planned.’

‘You do?’ Olivia and I asked in perfect unison.

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