Page 48 of When The Night Falls

My cheeks prickled at his phrasing. He obviously thought our night together had been more meaningful than the label ‘one-night stand’ typically implied, and I found consolation in that, because I felt the same way.

‘Yeah, well, you’re not alone in that,’ I said. ‘How do you think I’ve experienced all this? Not only have I managed to fuck my best friend’s brother, but he also just happens to be my new boss. And yet I still manage not to sexualise you – outwardly, anyhow.’

I wished I hadn’t added the last part, but my mouth had spoken before my mind caught up.

William’s eyes glimmered, his stare growing so intense that I whimpered. Why had I said that?

A smug smile crept across his lips as he propped his back against the door. Folding his arms, he studied me until I felt ready to expire.

‘Outwardly, you say?’

‘Mr Night.’ Impatience filled my tone. I was not a woman to be trifled with right now.

Smirking, he said, ‘I admire your resolve, Cara, but why do you insist on calling me Mr Night?’

‘It’s all part of the resolve you so admire.’

‘What?’

‘I’m creating psychological distance between us, and it’s working, so I’ve no intention of stopping.’

He burst out laughing then, and I found it awfully mocking.

‘Fuck this,’ I grumbled and dropped the contract on his desk. I wasn’t going to sign it. This would never work. The man wasn’t taking me seriously at all, and I found it extremely offensive. I was serious about this placement. That meant that I was determined to put our sensual past behind us, but he kept insisting on reminding me of it. He wasn’t treating me like every other employee at all, and that wasn’t something I found acceptable. I wanted to be treated like anyone else in this firm, like we had never shared a bed. I couldn’t fathom why he would assume it was all right to do anything else.

My action murdered his laughter. With the eyes of a hawk, he watched me approach him as he stood in front of the only sensible exit, but if he didn’t move, perhaps the windows of his office would become sensible options too.

‘Cara.’

I hated when he used that tone, because it exuded power not even I dared question.

‘Sign the contract.’

I reached for the handle, but his hand intercepted. Grabbing my wrist, he dragged my hand away, and then he completely shocked me. Entwining our fingers, he fixed his gaze on them and held my hand most affectionately.

Overwhelmed by the intimacy, I followed his stare. My heart bashed on my ribcage until I wondered if it would explode within me. It felt like my whole body was vibrating.

What the hell was going on with me? Was this truly just lust or was I infatuated with this man? No, I couldn’t be. I hardly knew him.

‘Sign the contract, Cara.’

Speechless, I kept staring at our hands. I was trying to make sense of my feelings, but it was impossible. I just couldn’t seem to grasp the extent of his influence. All I knew was that I had never felt this way before, as if I was about to burst with sheer delight, and he was only holding my hand.

‘I promise I’ll be good to you,’ he said and, much to my regret, let go.

Paralysed, I watched him get my contract from his desk. As he came back, he withdrew a pen from his pocket and gave me a grave look.

‘I won’t let you waste an opportunity like this, and I’m not saying that because I want to get in your knickers. I’m saying it as one solicitor to an aspiring one. We’ll work it out. We’ll just have to communicate. This is a strange situation, but we’re both adults. We’ll work our way round it. Please don’t squander your potential just because you happen to have shared a bed with me.’

I swallowed, hypnotised by his power. Still paralysed, I merely stared at him, undecided. I just couldn’t decide!

Sighing, he grabbed my shoulder and made me face the door. Next, he shoved the pen into my hand, retreated a step, and held the contract against the door.

‘Three months, Cara. You’ll survive, and you’ll be thanking yourself, and me, for the rest of your life.’

He resembled the Devil, urging me to sell him my soul in exchange for perpetual success. Was I really going to take that deal?

I looked at him for some time, contemplating, until I finally decided that he was right. This placement would most definitely assist my career, and I wasn’t about to waste it over an issue like this. Like he had said, we were adults. We would work our way round it. If his behaviour escalated into being truly intolerable, I reminded myself that I could always notify the HR department, though I hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Seeing as he was Jason’s brother and John’s son, I would rather avoid going to such measures, but if he didn’t stop sexualising me, I would have to. And so, since my career was in fact at stake, I finally decided to sign the contract.

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