Page 34 of When The Night Falls

Conflicted, I swallowed a lump in my throat. The solution was simple – all I had to do was say that I didn’t fancy him that way – yet I couldn’t bring myself to utter the lie.

‘No,’ I said. ‘It’s not.’

He groaned loudly, tossed his head back, and stared at the ceiling in despair.

I studied him for some time. I had totally misjudged him last night. He wasn’t an arsehole in the slightest. In his own way, he was instead a rare breed of a gentleman. Considering how rarely he indulged in one-night stands, he didn’t seem like a man who chased skirts merely for the thrill of it. On the contrary, he seemed rather fastidious about whom he blessed with his time and attention.

And here I was, wasting it.

‘I’m sorry, Will. You deserve better.’

He sighed and reached for his iPad. ‘Well, I agree. I deserve at least a chance.’

I nodded. ‘I really am sorry.’

He fell silent.

I stared at my plate. I had lost my appetite. ‘I should go.’

He stiffened. ‘At least finish your breakfast.’

I shook my head. ‘I’ve lost my appetite. I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t apologise.’ His tone was saturated with remorse. ‘I’m sorry I pressured you.’

I slid off my stool. ‘I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but I really think I should go.’

He gave me a vague nod and grabbed his phone from the table. ‘I’ll call for a taxi.’

‘Thanks.’

I went into his bedroom and collected my things. When I was about to take off his T-shirt, he came in and insisted that I should keep it. To go along with it, he gave me a pair of white Calvin Klein boxers since I had no knickers to wear. I chuckled as I pulled them on, but they served the purpose. In fact they were quite comfortable – like wearing hotpants.

I had just finished combing my hair when he arrived in the doorway of his bathroom and announced that the taxi had arrived.

‘I’ll walk you down,’ he said.

In the lift, the journey from his penthouse to the ground floor felt to last an age but, oddly enough, it still seemed too brief. We stole glances at one another the whole time, both appearing restless in our demeanour, but neither of us said a word.

Out on the street, we approached the black cab that was parked along the kerb. Taking advantage of his long legs, William strode to reach it first and opened the door for me.

‘Thank you,’ I said and halted in front of the open door to face him. ‘I had a wonderful time.’

The smile he offered took my breath away. It would have turned most women into blind fools. Wearing that, he could do whatever he wanted and get whatever he desired, apart from me.

Hesitation radiated from his behaviour when he lowered his head somewhat. Realising what he wanted, I smiled and stretched up to meet him. His warm mouth moulded against my own, but it felt different this time. There was a vulnerability behind the motion of his lips, as if he was holding back to protect himself from harm, when what he truly wanted was to consume me. While part of me wished the moment would last for ever, a larger part told me to pull away.

‘You know where I live,’ he said and cupped my face in his hands. ‘So if you change your mind, you’ll know where to find me.’ He stole another kiss, and when his lips parted from mine, I was mesmerised by the urgency in his eyes. ‘Do change your mind,’ he implored.

I gave him a faint smile and turned away. With a sigh that came straight from my heart, I headed into the car. William shut the door for me and tapped on the window on the front passenger side. Curious, I leaned over to see what he wanted. The driver rolled down the window and, through it, William extended a few notes to cover the fee for my trip.

‘Drive safely,’ he stressed.

‘Of course, sir,’ she replied.

‘Thanks. Have a good day.’

‘You too.’ With that, the driver rolled up the window and pulled out on the street.

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