Page 118 of When The Night Falls

He wasn’t the tallest man. I had noted the first time we met that we were around the same height – five-foot-eight. Despite this, there was something about his general demeanour that made him easy to notice in a crowd anyway.

I had barely spoken to him, but I liked him so far. He was a quiet type with a powerfully brooding air. His eyes were such a dark brown that they verged on black, and his skin was paler than even mine. The dark circles around his eyes made him look constantly sleep-deprived, but somehow it suited him. He seemed more mysterious that way – and he was mysterious. He had hardly said a word to me since I started. It was Ellie who had informed me that he was thirty-five years old and married to a male nurse with whom he had two young children.

Ellie greeted him while I considered my situation.

It was weird to be back. Last time I was here, I had been swept away by William’s unconventional charm. My heart tingled at the memory. That night, he had nearly ruined my defences, and I still hadn’t managed to restore them to their original strength. If anything, I was weaker than ever, especially now that I knew he still had feelings for me.

We hadn’t talked about it since. The whole week, we had both been acting like his confession never happened, but I had seen in his gaze that he was wondering where things would lead from here, and I knew I had mirrored the same look back at him.

I was terribly conflicted. On the one hand, I was hopelessly infatuated with him, but on the other, he was still my boss and Jason’s brother. In other words, dating him would still be incredibly inappropriate – and risky.

I often wondered if he shared my concerns since he hadn’t made any advances. He kept treating me like I was merely a colleague to him and nothing more. But perhaps he was just waiting for me to give him the green light. In the end, he was my boss, so maybe he was worried about the power imbalance between us; maybe he wanted to be sure that, if I started dating him, it would be of my own volition, and not because I felt intimidated by his role as my superior – that he wouldn’t merely be getting a date with me because I was afraid to say no.

I was still thinking of him when he suddenly walked through the door. Commanding and magnetic, he exuded a boundless kind of strength that petrified those contesting it. He was unbearably elegant and alluringly self-assured. I could see it in his deportment. He carried himself with pride and grace, as if nothing could shake him.

While he put the whole place to shame on his way to the bar, his captivating eyes scanned the room. Browsing, browsing, and then they met mine.

My breath abandoned me. Searching for friction, I pressed my thighs together beneath the table. Merely with a glance, he had dampened my underwear.

Trapped under his spell, I blatantly ogled him from where I sat. He was wearing a shirt that matched the colour of my dress, and it made his eyes sparkle. Matching his trousers, a grey waistcoat encased his powerful torso, and the sight made me wet my lips.

He was such a vision. It wasn’t fair that he should be so tempting when he was both my boss and my best friend’s brother. I didn’t deserve to suffer like this.

Fingers snapped in front of my face, breaking me out of my trance. Blinking, I turned my head, and I was met with Ellie’s frown.

‘Shit!’ I squeezed my eyes shut. She had caught me again.

‘You’re hopeless.’

‘Sorry. Thank you for...’ I shook my head. ‘Helping me out.’ My lips protruded as I dragged my espresso martini to my mouth.

She chuckled. ‘That’s what I’m here for, love. And I don’t blame you. He’s been keeping a keen eye on you ever since you started. Honestly, I feel bad for you. Had I not been happily in love with Brian, I would have drooled after him all day long too, especially if he gave me that sort of attention.’

Her words held comfort. I could always count on Ellie to offer sympathy. She might be a fan of gossip, but there was no doubt that she was an endearing sweetheart in spite of it. It just meant that I had to be careful with what I told her, but I could live with that, because she made up for it with her genuine kindness. Besides, it had become obvious to me that when she gossiped, she was simply trying to bond with the person she spoke to, which was why I forgave it. She never had ill intent.

That said, it was a shame that she didn’t seem to realise that, by gossiping, she could come across as someone who wasn’t trustworthy, which could ultimately make some people reluctant to confide in her the way a true friend would. In that way, her bonding technique was a bit counterproductive.

‘Ladies,’ Andy greeted us. ‘You look ravishing,’ he said and grabbed the seat next to mine. With a playful gleam in his warm brown eyes, he turned toward me. ‘Cara,’ he emphasised. ‘You look like you frequent this place.’

My eyes widened at his unexpected quip. What impeccably slick humour.

‘That colour on you should be illegal,’ he flattered, probably to conceal his inexplicit poke. ‘William will be jealous – you suit it better.’

I chuckled. ‘As if.’

‘Why wasn’t I told about your plans to wear matching outfits?’ he asked and gestured to me. ‘I’m made to feel like an outcast.’

Ellie laughed while I studied his own choice of colours. Wearing white, grey and beige, he looked enticing.

‘You look dreamy just the way you are, Andy, don’t worry,’ Ellie said and cocked her head slightly to one side. ‘Still single? Or has that changed since last?’

‘Semi-single.’

What was that supposed to mean?

‘Elaborate,’ Ellie said.

Andy sighed and leaned back. ‘Chloe’s difficult. She wants children, but I’m not ready for that yet. So, because we’re not on the same wavelength, she’s told me to make up my mind. Either I have to let her go or go all the way with her. So, while I make up my mind, we’re on a version of a break.’

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