Page 51 of Quiet Longing

“I am working, but I’m free the next day.”

She smiled. “Great, so we’ll hang out then. Just the two of us. What do you say?”

I stroked her cheek. “I say yes, that sounds perfect.” Pressing my lips to hers once more, I found it difficult not to start making out all over again. I was a bit addicted to the way she squirmed against me when we kissed.

“I better go to bed,” she said with a teasing grin before she drew close to whisper in my ear, “You’ve exhausted me, Rhys Doyle.”

Her whispered words had shivers skittering across the back of my neck. I liked it when she said my full name. She must’veheard it from Nuala or one of the others. When she turned to leave I pulled her back, unable to resist one last kiss before I quietly murmured, “’Night, Charli.”

A small tremble went through her, her eyes flashing in a way that told me she liked it when I spoke to her like that. When she left, her scent and taste lingered. I doubted I’d be able to get her out of my head all night. The way her lips felt haunted me.

“Where have you been?” Derek asked when I stepped into his room. Seemingly, Theo and Aidan had gone home once Derek’s parents arrived back.

“I was with Charli,” I answered honestly before considering that maybe I should’ve lied. Derek’s gaze narrowed as he assessed me.

“So, that’s happening, then, is it?”

I sat down on the fold out bed I’d been sleeping in the past few nights and blew out a breath. “Would you be pissed if it was?”

“I just don’t want you getting all swept up in her. Trust me, it isn’t fun having feelings for someone you can’t be with.”

I glanced at him, curious. “Are you talking about Milly?”

Derek’s expression clouded before he nodded. “I asked her to go out with me, and she said no.”

“Really?” I frowned. “But she seemed so into you tonight.”

“She is into me, I think, but she won’t be my girlfriend. She said she won’t be anyone’s girlfriend because she has to get into Trinity next year, and she can’t allow anything to distract her from that. She wants to be a doctor, so she needs a crazy high amount of points to get into the course, plus a bunch of extracurricular stuff. So, dating anyone is off the cards for her.” He paused and let out a groan. “She is, however, prepared to be my friend. Fuck, I think that might be worse.”

“That’s shite, man. I’m sorry.”

He waved me away. “Don’t worry about it. And I’m happy for you and Charli, really. Just don’t go falling in love with her or anything. She’ll be going home in August.”

“I won’t fall in love with her.” Even as I said it, there was a faint twist in my stomach because I was a little bit besotted already. “Besides, I have my own plans for the end of summer.”

“Oh yeah? Dad mentioned something about you possibly going full-time at the hotel,” Derek replied.

“That’s a possibility, but only if I don’t get accepted into the French Foreign Legion.”

At this, he sat up straight. “The French Foreignwhat?”

“It’s an elite corps of the French army that allows foreign citizens to join,” I began when Derek cut me off.

“I know what it is, dickhead, but why is this the first I’m hearing of you joining? I thought we were going to work for my dad. I got accepted into that business course so I can help run the hotels when I’m older, and I wanted you with me. We’d both be working there together.”

“Well, that still might happen. I need to get into much better shape for them to accept me into the legion, which isn’t likely by the end of summer. I was wondering if I could start exercising with you. I know you run most days and use the gym at the hotel, so I thought—”

“You do realise how fucking dangerous it will be, right? You’ll have to fight in actual wars. You could die, Rhys.”

“I could die anytime.”

“Right, but this will up your chances significantly. Why are you doing it? I don’t understand.”

I swallowed thickly, a pain in my chest because I wasn’t too keen on explaining my reasons. But Derek just kept looking at me like I’d told him I had a terminal illness, and he was my best friend. I felt I owed him an explanation. “I want to be strong,” I told him, my voice even. “I want to be the kind of man whocan take care of the people he loves. The kind of man violent bastards won’t mess with. And I’ll never become that man if I stay here.”

There was a flicker of pity in his eyes like he understood things about me I hadn’t ever told him, things about my dad. Derek blew out a breath, his gaze meeting mine. “What about the Irish army? Or the navy, even? There’s also the Army Rangers. They’re supposed to be some hard motherfuckers.”

“I know about the Rangers. I’ve looked into them, but I kind of want to be away from Ireland for a while. I need to get away.”

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