Page 30 of When The Night Falls

I grimaced. ‘Well, yes. Basically.’

‘This is honestly unbelievable. It’s completely backwards.’

I could understand why he would see it that way, but I didn’t agree.

‘Depends on what the goal is. Mine is to avoid distractions. I want to keep a strict focus on my studies and my career, so I prefer to stay away from things that can get in the way of that. I’m very sorry, but I have to be rational about this. What I’m doing is damage control.’

‘Fuck it,’ he muttered. ‘I’m done.’

I tensed. ‘As in you want me to leave?’

‘No, but I’m forfeiting. It’s clear you won’t change your mind.’

Sighing, I lay down on top of him. On his chest, I folded my hands under my chin and held his gaze. It hurt to look at him now. He had better be worth rejecting.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘I’m over it,’ he said, sounding nonchalant.

‘I’ll give you a blowjob if you want, for compensation.’

‘I’d prefer if you kept quiet, I think. The more you talk, the more I like you.’

I smiled. ‘I don’t know what your partner is into, but I don’t tend to speak much when I’m performing fellatio. It might have to do with having a dick in my mouth, but what do I know?’

I pushed myself up and trailed soft kisses down his torso. The slabs of muscle flexed beneath my mouth, making me grin. Was he ticklish?

Reaching down, he buried his hands in my hair and dragged me back to his face.

‘What are you?’ he asked as he stared into my eyes. ‘The Devil?’

My lips twitched into another smile. ‘It’s your night. I’ll be whatever you want.’

‘Mine, then,’ he said, and my heart throbbed. Had he really just said that? Once again, the strangest feeling seared into my chest, but I couldn’t fathom the nature of it.

‘Oh, but you already are,’ he said and claimed my mouth.

Irked, I pulled away. ‘I’m not.’

‘You just said it yourself.’ He grinned. ‘I’m “boyfriend material”.’

‘You’re also an idiot.’

He chuckled. ‘My degree begs to differ.’

‘Cambridge.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘Quite the card that is.’

‘Yes.’ He tucked his arms under his head. As he lay beneath me, his eyes were riveted on my face. ‘I hope I’ll forget you.’

His brutal words made me grimace. ‘What? Why?’

‘Because if I don’t, I’ll go mad.’ He wrapped me in his arms and flung us around. ‘But for now, I intend to take full advantage.’ He reached for his nightstand. When I saw him withdraw another foil packet, my eyes widened. Already?

‘I assure you, though,’ he said, his face grave. ‘I won’t give you a single reason to ever forget me.’

§ § §

An internal alarm woke me up. When I opened my eyes, the black and unfamiliar nightstand prompted me to remember where I was. One after the other, memories of last night flashed through my mind until there was an abundance of heat in my face. I smiled in spite of it, for it had been dreamlike.

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