Page 29 of Heart of The Night

‘Comfortably settled in the lounge,’ he said, his hands tracing a tantalising path from my waist to cup my breasts.

‘Did you tell them I’m here?’

‘Andy noticed your handbag in the hall.’ He dipped his head, drawing my right nipple into his mouth with a firm suckle. I gritted my teeth, a vain attempt to suppress the rippling pleasure. His arm curled around me, pulling me flush against his body under the curtain of warm water. Then his lips claimed mine in a fervent kiss, and I knew, soreness be damned, there was no way I could resist feeling him inside me again.

His arousal nudged against my stomach, and my hand instinctively drifted downward, wrapping around his rigid length. His groan echoed in the confined space as I stroked him, and he pulled me even closer. I grinned, a sense of pride washing over me, knowing I had this effect on him time and time again.

‘Let’s be quick,’ I said, my arms winding around his neck in an intimate embrace.

A mischievous grin spread his lips. ‘Climb aboard.’

I leaped onto him with a giggle, my legs entwining around his waist in a secure lock. The subsequent glide of him inside me elicited a sharp gasp from my mouth, the jolt of pleasure undeniable, even if it was tinged with a hint of pain this time. But it was a fleeting sensation, soon eclipsed by the unbearable tension that rallied within me, seizing every muscle of my body in a tight grip. When it finally let go, it took every ounce of my self-control not to wail William’s name for the whole world to hear. But, judging by the glint in William’s eyes, perhaps he wouldn’t have minded the entire world knowing my pleasure, and that he was the artist behind it.

Emerging from the cloud of steam billowing around us, we stepped onto the beige slate tiles of the en-suite, the scent of shampoo and soap lingering in the air. I crossed into William’s spacious bedroom, my gaze settling on the discarded heap of my white dress from the day before, draped over the velvet, dark brown chaise longue near the windows. I picked it up, the soft fabric cool against my fingertips, but as I brought it closer, I was hit with the all-too-familiar scent of sex. I grimaced, remembering that William’s hands, coated in our passion, had been all over it last night. Wearing this was out of the question. Andy and Alex were bound to detect the smell.

Tossing the dress back onto the chair, I looked at William, who stood in the doorway of the bathroom, drying his beautiful chest with a white towel. ‘I can’t wear this,’ I said, pointing at the dress. ‘They’ll notice the smell for sure.’

William just smiled. ‘Then wear something of mine.’ He jerked his head toward the adjoining walk-in wardrobe.

I followed his gaze, peering through the open doors into a room that looked like a treasure trove of William’s personal style. Rows upon rows of neatly hung suit jackets, shirts and trousers greeted my eyes, arranged with an attention to detail that was characteristically William.

I walked in, my fingers skimming over the luxurious fabrics and expertly tailored designs when a sudden burst of colour caught my eye. Hanging amongst the sea of muted colours was a bright orange dress, a sunbeam in the uniform greys and blues. I stopped in my tracks, my fingertips ghosting over the silken material. Who did it belong to? A woman, obviously, unless William had a secret penchant for wearing dresses that he hadn’t disclosed to me.

A sense of unease stirred within me, sending my thoughts into a whirlwind. Was he entertaining another woman behind my back?

Biting back my mounting anxiety, I chose directness over speculation. ‘Whose dress is this?’

William entered the doorway, looking puzzled. As his gaze followed my pointing finger to the orange dress, comprehension dawned, replaced quickly by a flicker of guilt. ‘Ah, that’s Francesca’s,’ he said, a wince of apology forming on his face. ‘She left it here before we ended things.’

‘Oh.’ Francesca. The memory of her made me pause, my chest filling with a peculiar sense of guilt. Sometimes, I felt like I had stolen her man, even though I knew he had always wanted only me – he had never truly been hers.

It was strange to think that she had once shared the same intimacy with William that I now did – that, if I hadn’t come to my senses in time, she might have been the one standing here at this moment instead of me.

I vividly remembered the day she visited William at his office – the hopeless love brimming in her eyes as she talked about him, the conflicting emotions I endured, and the immense relief I had felt when William revealed he had already ended things with her; she was merely there to ask for a second chance.

I could feel William’s attentive gaze on me as I turned away from the dress, my eyes scanning his collection for something suitable to wear.

‘I’m sorry. I’d forgotten about it,’ he murmured, remorse in his voice. ‘I didn’t mean for you to see it.’

I gave him a small smile. ‘I’m not bothered, don’t worry. I was just confused for a minute.’

His brow furrowed, questioning. ‘Did you think, for even a second, that I might be involved with somebody else?’

‘I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind,’ I confessed, ‘but I considered it unlikely.’

With a few determined strides, he closed the distance between us, his fingers gently gripping my chin to tilt my head back. ‘I will never do that to you. You’re the only one I’ll ever want.’

My chest fluttered at the sincerity in his voice, at the unwavering conviction gleaming in his eyes. Unable to contain the buoyant grin spreading on my face, I tiptoed, stretching to place a tender kiss on his lips.

‘That’s mutual,’ I said affectionately, caressing his damp, bare chest.

Turning my attention back to the wardrobe, I spied a pair of white linen trousers hanging a little apart from the suits of William’s collection. Snagging the lightweight fabric off its hanger, I held them up against my waist, estimating the loose fit with a satisfied nod.

Next, I spotted a pristine white T-shirt, neatly folded on a wooden shelf. With a swift move, I slipped it off the shelf, the soft cotton fabric cool to the touch. Pulling on the oversized T-shirt, followed by the linen trousers, I rummaged around the drawers until I found a brown leather belt, which I used to cinch the waist of the trousers after stuffing my shirt into it. Then I made a final adjustment to the trousers, rolling up the turn-ups to expose my bare ankles.

Meanwhile, William had busied himself with his own attire, choosing an olive linen shirt that he left partly unbuttoned, revealing a sliver of his chest. He paired it with pressed, cream-white trousers that hung perfectly off his hips.

Now dressed, we both moved toward the living room, my heart pounding with anticipation. William opened the door, gesturing for me to step out first. As I crossed the threshold, the hum of relaxed conversation reached my ears. The familiar tones of Andy’s voice intertwined with another – deeper and steadier, like a calming lullaby. It could only belong to Alex.

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