Page 31 of When The Night Falls

There wasn’t a sound around me, not even of a body softly drawing breath. Was he still here? I remembered I had fallen asleep in his arms sometime after midnight, but nobody was holding me now.

In case he was still present in the bed, I turned carefully and slowly, but he was nowhere in sight. Relaxing, I groaned and rubbed my face. I despised the inevitable next phase: the awkward conversations and forced small talk that always occurred the morning after a one-night stand – unless I had snuck out before the guy woke up. There was always that dreadful question hanging in the air and spilling between the lines: what’s next? Should we go back to being perfect strangers, as if we hadn’t just enjoyed each other more intimately than most, or should we embark on a journey that was bound to end in tragedy once I failed to live up to his expectations?

Considering what a paradigm shift William represented in my expectations of men, I lingered in the bed for a while longer, hoping it would help me reinforce my resolve. I would need every drop of it to stick to my rules and leave without any intention of a reunion.

Gazing around, I wondered what time it was. Last night, I had brought my purse into his bedroom, so I reached down the side of the bed and took out my phone. As the screen lit up, I saw that it was half ten and that I had two missed calls from Jason, as well as a text from Olivia that had been received just a minute ago. Since I had plans with Jason today, I decided to call him before I did anything else.

‘Morning, love,’ he answered after a single ring.

‘Morning,’ I replied hoarsely and cleared my throat.

‘Glad you’re not dead.’ He chuckled. ‘Whose bed did you fall asleep in?’

‘The bed of the guy I insulted.’

‘No way. You’re joking.’

‘Am not.’

Laughter burst out of him. ‘Oh my God. Course you did. Was it worth it?’

‘Yeah, actually. Best I’ve ever had.’

‘Really?’ he asked, sounding amazed.

‘Really.’

‘Damn. Will you stick to your rules, then?’

I sighed. ‘That’s the plan.’

He was quiet for a beat. ‘You don’t sound too happy about that.’

Somebody knocked on the door, and my heart contracted with a thrill upon the sound.

‘Yeah, I know. But listen, I’ve got to go. I’ll be home soon, all right?’

‘Later, then.’

‘Yeah.’ I hung up. ‘Yes?’ I called out.

The door swung open, revealing the gorgeous man I had managed to seduce last night. I must have been wielding some black magic. Nothing else could explain this. For better or for worse, he was exactly my type, both physically and mentally. Dressed in beige trousers and a simple white shirt, he leaned against the doorpost and smiled.

There wasn’t a chance I could keep myself from blushing.

‘Morning,’ he said and tucked his hands in his pockets. ‘Sleep well?’

‘I did. You?’

‘Same.’

‘Have you been awake for long?’

‘About an hour.’ He shrugged. ‘I’ve made you breakfast. If you’d like to shower first, there’s a bathroom through that door.’ He jerked his head toward it.

My eyebrows arched. I hadn’t expected this level of hospitality.

‘Thanks. You’re very kind.’

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