Page 43 of About Last Night
There was a pause, then he sighed and the air around them moved as if he’d adjusted his position.
An intense longing for him to touch her twisted her insides.
‘I’m sorry I asked to you come to this awful thing,’ he murmured. ‘I didn’t realise you hated networking so much.’ He was standing so close now she could feel the heat radiating from him.
She pulled a face then chuckled, realising he couldn’t see her. She was glad he hadn’t found the light switch though, it was amazing how much easier it was to talk about this in the dark.
‘It’s okay. It’smyproblem. I’ve always been shy. I was the quiet kid at school who never raised her hand or spoke out, but it got to the point where I felt so invisible, I realised I had to do something about it. So now I pretend to be confident and vivacious and somehow it works and everyone believes me. I still get terrified during social situations though. I’m afraid I’ll have one of my brain-freeze moments where I’m totally lost for words and end up staring at the person I’m talking to with a gormless look on my face. Do you ever get that?’
He laughed quietly. ‘Nope. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m the sort of person you can’t shut up at these things. I guess you’re an off-the-scale introvert to my off-the-scale extrovert.’ The warmth of his tone penetrated the darkness.
Her heart beat faster as his words sunk in. ‘Is that what you think it is? Introversion?’
He moved again and her insides dipped with disappointment when she realised he must have leant back against the wall opposite her because his voice sounded a bit further away when he spoke. ‘Yeah, that would be my layman’s prognosis. I had a psychologist come into the business when some of the staff weren’t getting on well together and she explained how an extrovert needs to socialise and have people around them to recharge and an introvert needs alone time and quiet. Just like you do after your show. You hide away while the rest of the team – the extroverts – ride the buzz of performing together. The brain-freeze thing is synonymous with introversion too. It’s not a bad thing to be an introvert, in fact a business needs a few deep thinkers, you just naturally deal with situations in a more measured way.’
‘Huh.’ She never considered that her need to retreat and hide after a show or party was so normal it had a name. She’d thought it was crippling shyness or an inability to deal with the pressure of performing. Something negative, anyway.
‘I just assumed I was shy because my parents always told me I was. They found it really difficult having a daughter with limited social skills when they were both so gregarious. They ended up speakingforme most of the time to breach the awkward silences.’
‘And look at you now, presenting the toughest show at one of the best radio stations in London.’
She huffed out a laugh. ‘Yeah, I’m not quite sure how that happened.’
‘Through sheer hard work and determination.’ From the tone of his voice, she could tell he was impressed by the success she’d made for herself. Her face glowed with gratified heat this time and once again she was grateful for the darkness.
‘Yeah, well… I did a Media degree but I never expected to like DJing so much. I always assumed I’d do something behind the scenes, but it helped me find my voice. I love the anonymity of radio and I guess I use that as a bit of a crutch.’
His presence, so close yet still not touching her, made the air around them throb with tension. She felt she could probably reach out and grab hold of it if she wanted.
‘You know, I’m really touched you agreed to come with me, considering you find this kind of event so tough.’ He took a breath. ‘I actually thought you were reluctant to come because you didn’t want to be here with me after what I told you about my family… and things,’ he said, his voice gruff and low, as if he was experiencing the exact same edgy tension in the atmosphere that she was.
‘No. That really wasn’t the reason.’ The words caught in her mouth as she felt him move closer again and his heat and delectable scent washed over her. ‘I came because you needed me.’
She realised as the words left her mouth that that was why she was here. She wanted the station to succeed, of course she did, but she also wanted to help Tristan in any way she could. Because she liked him.
Maybe more than liked.
There was a loaded pause before he responded. ‘I did need you.’ A breath. ‘I do.’
The air seemed to crackle and the next second his hands found her face and slid along her jaw, drawing her towards him, and then his mouth was on hers, hot and firm and oh, so welcome.
He was kissing her like he couldn’t get enough of her, running his hands possessively down her throat to skim over her shoulders and down over the swell of her breasts, his thumbs catching on her suddenly erect nipples which pushed against the tight-fitting dress she’d worn for him.
‘Tristan,’ she muttered against his mouth.
He drew back enough to let her speak.
‘What are we doing? This is crazy.’
His hands tightened around her waist and he pulled her hard against him so she could feel how turned on he was.
‘I know. I know.’ His voice was guttural, strained.
He dropped kisses along her jawline, sending great twists of erotic sensation through her whole body. ‘Don’t think,’ he murmured, the vibration of his words tickling and teasing the hypersensitive skin of her neck as he moved lower. ‘Just do.’
She moaned low in her throat, suddenly totally unable toremember why she shouldn’t be doing this with him. It felt so right. So good.
Sliding her hands up from his body, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him hard and covetously, her tongue sliding firmly against his, the untameable response making her whole body throb with need.
