Page 7 of Heart of The Night

‘Did you notice how Jian stiffened when I asked him about his family?’ William asked then, his brows furrowing slightly as he held my gaze.

‘I did, actually.’

He looked away, thoughtful. ‘I’m wondering if he lied – because you’re here.’

I tilted my head. ‘It’s possible.’

He raised a hand to his mouth, his forefinger running across his lips. As I stared at that finger, all I could think about was how much I wanted it inside me, the sooner the better.

‘I’ll have to ask him again later,’ William said, returning his focus to the menu. ‘Now. What would you like to eat?’

We settled on a shared menu consisting of ten separate dishes. As we waited for our starters, William said, ‘The only downside to this place’ – he reached for his glass of champagne – ‘is that they haven’t got fortune cookies.’ He took a sip.

I chuckled. ‘I wasn’t aware they should.’

He set the glass back. ‘I’ve been trying to persuade Jian to add them to the menu – at least a secret one – for years, but he refuses. Says they’re too commercial.’

I shrugged. ‘He’s got a reputation to maintain.’

‘But they’re such good fun,’ William argued. ‘Thankfully,’ he folded his arms and leaned forward, ‘there’s a place just down the street that sells them, so I’ve already placed the order. We’ll stop by once we’re done here, and that way, we can skip the queue.’

Amusement danced on my lips. ‘Efficiency is your bible, isn’t it?’

‘Sounds about right.’ He nodded, grinning. ‘Why, are you religious?’

‘Yes,’ I lied.

From his astonished expression, I could tell I had surprised him. I barely managed to keep from laughing.

‘Really? Which religion?’

‘Christianity.’ Another lie.

He scrutinised my features, looking far from convinced. ‘And what does Jamie make of that, given he’s a philosophy teacher and all? I mean, yes, there are lots of Christian philosophers. I’m just not entirely convinced that dear Mr Darby is one, and I’m even less convinced that he would raise his daughter a Christian. After all, critical thinking is at the core of philosophy. Surely he must have raised you to consider religion with an analytical eye, rather than shove it down your throat?’

I laughed. It was endearing that William remembered all these details about my father when I had only talked about him once, and many months ago at that. And, impressively, it seemed that William had accurately deduced my father’s character from that brief mention.

‘You’re right. I’m not religious at all. None of my family members are. Are you, though?’

‘Yes, of course. I’d even kiss your feet if you asked me to.’

The unexpected twist caught me off guard. As the words sank in, a rush of warmth flooded my face.

‘Foot fetish?’ My nose wrinkled. ‘We’ll have to work on that.’ I rested my cheek in my palm. ‘Not judging those who are, but I am not into that.’

‘Me neither.’ William leaned back, chuckling. ‘What about anal sex?’ he asked then.

It was tempting to grab my purse and smack him over the head with it.

‘Seriously, Will?’ I glared at him, my cheeks boiling. ‘We’re at a posh restaurant.’

He laughed. ‘You’ve definitely done it.’

Pursing my lips, I looked away from him. Yes, I had tried it, and it was actually something I enjoyed when done right. Aaron and I had explored this terrain several times, and while it had been an uncomfortable sensation initially, we eventually figured out how to make it a pleasant experience. Since then, using butt plugs during sex had been one of my favourite things because the fulfilment was unlike anything else.

The thought of Aaron and all the things we had done together made my mood plummet in the span of a mere breath.

‘I have,’ I said, pouting.

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