Page 8 of Heart of The Night

William’s eyes gleamed with lust as he leaned forward. ‘Do you like it?’

My blush was constant at this point. ‘I can’t believe we’re discussing this over dinner, in public.’

‘You do,’ he said, grinning widely.

This topic, and the excitement in his eyes, made it impossible to hold his gaze. ‘I prefer regular sex with butt plugs over anal sex,’ I murmured embarrassedly.

‘Noted.’

‘Do you like it?’ I dared to look at him.

He shrugged. ‘I don’t really have an opinion on the matter. I’m into it if my partner is, but it’s not something I desperately need to do. Regular sex is equally pleasurable in my experience.’

‘Good to know. I don’t think I could handle you entering through the backdoor anyway.’

His eyebrows twitched. ‘Are you implying I’m bigger than—’ He stopped short upon my glare.

‘Don’t compare,’ I said harshly, defensive of Aaron. I hadn’t meant to expose the truth like that, and I regretted it profusely. While he wasn’t William, Aaron was surely adequately endowed, and I hated the idea that William might gloat about this. ‘Besides,’ I continued vehemently, ‘size only matters up to a point. After that, how you use it is much more important.’

Just as William opened his mouth to speak, the waiter appeared with our first round of appetisers. I breathed a small sigh of relief, even though the thought of Aaron had already spoiled my appetite. The waiter took a small step back, asking if he could describe the dish to us: large, succulent shrimp cooked in a fiery Sichuan-style sauce made with dried chilli peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. The dish, served in a small, elegant bowl with a pair of chopsticks, was topped with a sprinkle of chopped spring onion and coriander for added freshness. It looked mouth-watering.

As the waiter walked away, William tactfully steered the conversation to music. Apparently, the string instrument I heard in the background was called Guzheng.

‘Did you know I can play the guitar?’ he asked.

My eyebrows climbed higher. ‘You can?’

He went on to explain that he started taking lessons when he was eight and had subsequently become rather proficient.

As we ate, the conversation flowed as effortlessly as ever. I found myself wondering why I had felt so nervous about this date, when talking with William was as easy as breathing. It had always been that way, so why should this evening have been any different? Though we had only known each other for a few months, I often felt like I had known him for a lifetime. His personality had always been strangely familiar, as if we had been long-time friends or even soul mates in a past life, and now we were just rediscovering one another anew.

When we finished the dessert, I ran a hand over my belly, feeling completely stuffed. ‘Are you sure about those fortune cookies? I feel like I’m about to burst.’

William emptied his glass of wine and set it down. ‘If you don’t want to eat it, I’ll do it for you, but you’ll get your fortune telling one way or another.’

Jian came over then, smiling brightly. ‘How was the food?’

‘It was delicious, as always,’ William said with a grin.

‘Yeah.’ I smiled up at Jian. ‘Will’s going to have to roll me out of here.’

Jian laughed. ‘That’s exactly what we aim for.’

‘I’d say so, especially judging by the number of guests,’ William remarked, his eyes ranging over the neighbouring screens as numerous voices blended with the comfortable Guzheng music playing in the background. ‘Have you considered expanding further, Jian? Perhaps open another restaurant?’

Jian’s expression turned sober, and his dark eyes flickered in my direction, as if contemplating whether to say what he wanted to. ‘To be honest, Will,’ he began hesitantly, ‘there’s been some trouble at Fusion, but I don’t want to burden you with the details.’

William straightened at once. ‘How do you mean?’

‘Please. I’d hate to interrupt your date,’ Jian said and gave me an apologetic look.

‘I really don’t mind,’ I said, hoping my sincerity was palpable as I shook my head. ‘Will and I work together – we see each other almost every day. You’re not ruining anything.’

Jian took a deep breath, flicking a worried glance around, before leaning in closer to William. ‘There’s… there’s a big food conglomerate that’s been laying it on thick to enforce a takeover of Fusion. They’ve been pushing hard, and I’m afraid we might be on the ropes.’

William’s jaw clenched, his protective instincts kicking in. ‘That’s why you were on edge when I asked about your family.’

Jian winced. ‘Yes. We’re all a bit worried, especially my father. He doesn’t want to forfeit my grandfather’s legacy.’

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