Page 127 of Quiet Longing

I lifted her hand, bringing her knuckles to my mouth for a kiss. “Stop by my place any time,” I murmured. “You’re always welcome.”

“Well,” she said, looking shy. “Next time, I’ll call ahead and not just turn up on your doorstep.”

“As I said,anytime. I’m always happy to see you, Charli.”

Her eyes flared, some mysterious emotion passing over her features before she nodded, swallowing thickly. “Okay, well, I better get inside. Aunt Jo’s probably waiting with a million questions.”

“And what will you tell her?” Honestly, I was more than a little curious to know the answer to that myself.

She climbed from the car and pushed her hair back from her face, leaning down to me to respond, “That you and I are spending time together and enjoying one another’s company.”

I smiled, closing the distance between us to capture her lips in a light, parting kiss. “That sounds about right,” I said before pulling back. “See you at work tomorrow.”

“See you, Rhys.”

I stayed in the car, waiting until she was safely inside before I drove away. The dawning realisation of being completely and totally fucked returned. I was so gone for her, so besotted I could barely tear my gaze away whenever we were in the same room. It was at that very moment I knew I was in love with Charli Moretti and had been since I was nineteen years old.

34.

Rhys

The following three weeks were some of the best of my life. Charli and I became insatiable for one another, and every spare moment, we snuck away to be together. She spent weekends at my place, and I was falling deeper and deeper in love with her every day that went by.

Sometimes I’d find her looking at me, eyes all soft and hazy, and I’d wonder if maybe she was having similar feelings, but I didn’t want to break the bubble by asking her. And really, I was just happy to be in her orbit and would take whatever small part of herself she was willing to share.

It was Tuesday night, and Aidan had invited everyone to his restaurant for dinner. Unlike the last time she was there, Charli was relaxed and at ease, the change in her impossible to miss. I liked to believe I’d played some part in her newfound confidence though I knew a lot of it was down to her own courage and perseverance. I drove us to the restaurant, unable to keep my eyes off the black dress she’d chosen. The light material clung to her body in a very distracting manner, with her wavy hair swept into a delicate twist.

We picked Nuala up on our way, and she chattered about her day at work until we arrived at the restaurant. Derek and Tristan were already there, and it appeared Tristan had brought along a lady friend, which wasn’t out of the ordinary for him. Theo was absent as usual. The bloke was always working.

I guided Charli and Nuala towards the table at the back, where Aidan sat with the brothers. It looked like they’d already opened a bottle of wine.

“You’re here,” Aidan said, standing and first going to kiss Nuala on the cheek before turning to Charli. I bristled when his lips brushed her cheek even though I knew it was only a friendly greeting. My hand balled into a fist, but I forced myself to relax. We were sleeping together, but she wasn’t mine to claim no matter how much I might wish to. There was a twinkle in Aidan’s eye when he withdrew, and he flashed me a knowing smirk before motioning for us all to join them at the table.

Aside from Jo, who’d agreed to keep Charli’s and my spending time together to herself, no one knew of our arrangement. We were keeping things private for the moment since revealing it would only garner attention neither of us wanted.

“This is Brenda,” Tristan said, introducing his date to us newcomers. Brenda looked to be in her early thirties and had short black hair. “She’s an interior designer and has been working with us on the new hotel down in Cork.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Brenda.” Nuala was the first to shake her hand. “I hope my brother’s treating you well.”

“Oh, yes, he’s been a real gentleman,” Brenda responded while Tristan waggled his eyebrows at me like that was some kind of innuendo. I shook my head and turned to Charli, her thigh only an inch from mine where she sat next to me.

“Would you like some wine?” I asked.

I could still smell her on my skin. She’d dropped by my office that morning, and I’d made short work of locking the door before pulling her onto my lap and making her come while she sat astride me at my desk. It was quickly becoming one of my favourite pastimes. The way she’d trembled against me was etched into my mind.

“Yes, thank you,” she replied, the dim lighting making the golden flecks in her eyes shimmer. She was so beautiful it wasdifficult to look anywhere else. All I wanted was to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless.

“Well, Charli,” Aidan said after taking the liberty of ordering starters for the table, some kind of prawn dumplings that were apparently their most popular dish. “How have you been finding things back on the old sod?”

“It’s been great,” she answered him, lifting her wine glass. “Better than great, actually.” Her gaze flicked to mine briefly, and I couldn’t resist dropping my hand to her thigh beneath the table. I gave a squeeze and saw a small breath escape her. The caveman part of my brain wondered if she was wet. “Everybody’s been so welcoming, and I love working at the hotel.”

“With Rhys?” Aidan went on, that twinkle in his eye returning. I couldn’t be irritated at him, not when he hadn’t breathed a word to anyone about Charli’s breakdown at the opening. In fact, he behaved like it had never even happened, which I knew was a relief to her.

She sipped her wine. “Yes, Rhys’ office is just across from mine. It’s been nice to have a familiar face around.”

Aidan grinned. “I’ll bet.”

I narrowed my gaze at him, and he was smart enough to change the subject. A server arrived with our starters, and the talk changed to other topics. I kept my hand on Charli’s thigh for most of the meal, and I noticed she was more relaxed every time I touched her. My chest practically hummed with satisfaction.

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