Skin of the Night: Book One of The Night series

by Claire D. Bennett

  “I’d like an apology, for starters,” he calmly replied.

  “Well, I’m sorry, Will. It wasn’t personal.”

  He nodded. “Thank you.”

  My eyebrows furrowed as I met his arresting eyes. “You’ve got to see why this won’t work. Surely, you’re not that daft, are you?”

  He glared at me, and I nearly withered under the heat of it. “Well, I must be, because I don’t see the problem. You’ll only be here for three months. Had it been indefinite, we’d be having a different conversation, but it’s not. We’re also adults, meaning we should be able to work our way round it.”

  “How do you think John would react if he knew? Or Theresa?” I countered in my scepticism. To my satisfaction, he grimaced at the very idea.

  “Exactly,” I said and folded my arms together.

  “There won’t be a reason for concern unless we behave in a way that warrants it. If you can manage, I guarantee I will, too. I’d hate to see you waste an opportunity like this, especially when knowing it’d be my fault.”

  Mustering whatever courage I had left, I stared at him with eyes of steel. “If we’re going to do this, I’d like to make one thing abundantly clear. I will not have sex with you again. Do I need to explain why, or are you on board with that?”

  I couldn’t believe what I’d done. Never in my life had I managed something so outrageous before. I had slept with my best friend’s brother. Not only that, but he was also going to be my boss for three months. If there had been even a faint chance that I’d want to sleep with him again, it had been completely obliterated in the face of this.

  I wondered whether I ought to tell Jason but immediately decided that I wouldn’t. Since it had only been a one-night stand, I thought he’d be better off not knowing. Informing him was simply unnecessary, as it wouldn’t happen again.

  Aloofness spilled from William’s eyes, and his heart-shaped lips formed a straight line. Added together, his facial expression made it impossible to gauge his thoughts.

  “Who says I’d want to?”

  My breath hitched, and my eyes widened. Right. I hadn’t thought of that. For a moment, I considered myself despicably conceited. He was the professional here. Of course he’d abandon the idea now that our circumstances had changed.

  “Right. That should make things easier.” I’d managed to sound stoical, but behind my pretence, I was hiding a rather bruised ego. Rationally, I appreciated his rhetorical insinuation, but irrationally, I didn’t. Being a woman that William Night desired was the most significant boost I’d had in a long time. Alas, the time for that was long gone. However, I had meant for it to turn out this way, so why did I feel so slighted? My feelings weren’t justified, nor did they make any sense.

  He sighed. “Well, then. Shall we move along? We can’t really afford to spend more time on this matter. I’m a busy man, and people are counting on me to perform according to schedule. On that note, you should prepare for three intense months.”

  It hadn’t been necessary for him to tell me that. I was strapping up for the most challenging three months I’d probably ever have to endure, and it wasn’t strictly due to the tasks I’d be delegated. It was also because I’d be facing intensity in the flesh for the better part of ninety days.

  I nodded as I guided myself into a more professional frame of mind. “Yes.”

  Reaching forward, he fetched the contract he’d presented earlier and leaned towards me. Now close again, the scent of him struck me with merciless force. Immediately, I was sent down memory lane and into his bedroom, where his alluring scent was etched into the walls, and where his naked skin caressed and guided mine.

  I was certain my pupils were dilated when I looked at the contract, though I could barely make sense of a single letter. I was much too distracted by my lust for this testosterone-bomb beside me.

  I realised at the same moment that there were two dimensions to this. I was divided. Part of me wanted to fuck him into eternity. The other was adamant about remaining sensible, and sensible did not favour erotic thoughts of William Night when taking our new circumstances into account.

  However, I wasn’t deluded. There was no point in denying the fact that I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Anything else would be an absolute lie. My whole body tingled where I sat, aching for his sexual attention. He was the sexiest man I’d ever encountered, both in mind and body, and he was my best friend’s brother, as well as my future boss. He surely was Satan in a Sunday hat.

  Fuck.

  He started speaking again, and like a male siren, his voice summoned me to my doom. “Your tasks will mainly include that of a paralegal’s. Although I’ll be your supervisor for the span of the placement, Elisabeth will be teaching you the basics of your tasks the first few days. She’s a full-time paralegal, close to your age – twenty-five – and very kind and patient. I’ll make the introductions once you’ve signed your contract.

  “For now, I gather I’ll guide you through it. If you have any questions, don’t be shy. Tell me to stop, and I’ll explain the implications to the best of my ability. Understood?”

  He was awfully authoritative, and although I didn’t like to admit it, it had a hotline to my libido. When I had thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse, he proved me wrong. William, when focused and professional, was devastatingly attractive. As he was now, I could watch him for a lifetime, endlessly aroused and fascinated.

  Since I failed to provide an answer, he turned towards me. Utterly susceptible, I looked straight back, and once he gauged my thoughts, his eyes noticeably widened.

  “No, Cara. Do not look at me like that,” he instructed impatiently.

  “Like what?”

  “Like you want me to claim you across my desk, right now.”

  My mouth dried as my breath left me. Though outrageous, the idea made my knickers grow damp while my heart raced. I would have loved every second of it, I was sure – until he surrendered his domination of me to remorse.

  “What?” I whispered feebly.

  “You heard me.” He charged up from his seat. Walking round his desk, he reached for the black telecom and raised the handset to his ear. Shortly after he’d pushed a button, he requested in a chillingly strict tone, “Ellie, could you come in here for a sec? I’ve got a favour to ask of you.” Once he rang off, he locked eyes with me and clenched his jaw.

  I frowned in confusion. Wasn’t he supposed to guide me through the contract? Before I had a chance to ask, there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” he answered and sank into the seat of his stylish, grey desk chair.

  Turning my head, I watched a Black lady step in. Her Afro-textured hair was styled into twists that stopped just below her breasts, and she had the sort of smile that would make you turn your head after her on the street. She oozed maternal care. My first impression was that I’d come to adore her.

  “You must be Cara,” she said, and she had a voice that would suit a soft lullaby. What a remarkably soothing voice. Cooing was likely a constant for her.

  A little chubby in her anatomy, she made her way over and extended her small hand. She was quite a short woman, but her breasts were huge. They strained against her dark blue satin blouse, and I couldn’t help but steal a swift glimpse of her cleavage while I sized her up.

  Eager to escape the heat of William’s attention, I clasped her hand and ascended from my chair. In my heels, I was at least a head taller than her. “That’s me, yes. You’re Elisabeth?”

  Her smile transitioned into a full-blown grin. “Please, call me Ellie. Elisabeth sounds so formal.”

  “Elisabeth is a lovely name,” I remarked. “But of course, Ellie is, too.”

  “Ellie,” William chimed in from behind us, “please see to it that Cara finds a space where she can read through her contract. I’ve got work that requires my immediate attention.” />
  “Of course, Will. Whatever you need.”

  “Thanks. Did you manage to contact GreenPark for me?”

  “Yes. I’ve sent you an email about it. The appointment should already be synchronised with your schedule.”

  Smirking, William looked to me. “Watch and learn,” he said and then gave Elisabeth a fond wink.

  “Certainly. But Mr Night—” it felt incredibly weird to refer to him that way—“what shall I do once I’ve signed?”

  He frowned at how I’d addressed him, but I’d done it deliberately to create as much psychological distance between us as possible. It was purely a defensive mechanism to remind me of our professional relationship.

  “I told you to call me Will, Cara,” he murmured. While extending the contract to me across his desk, he continued, “If you’ve any questions, take notes and bring them to me once you’ve finished reading through. If you don’t, simply sign and hand it over to me.”

  Nodding my head, I walked over to grab hold of it, but with each stride, the electric charge between us surmounted my heart. Once our gaze met, no words were required. I understood precisely what his eyes meant to convey.

  He wanted to fuck me again, and he wanted to do it now.

  Shocking myself, I realised that if our circumstances had been different, I would have surrendered to the desire.

  However, while feigning obliviousness to the sexual mayhem he ceaselessly roused in me, I turned my back to him and said, “Thank you, Mr Night.”

  I thought I heard him curse under his breath, but I couldn’t be sure.

  8

  MOMENTARY LOVER

  As soon as we’d walked out, Elisabeth was guiding the way to a vacant desk when warm brown eyes met mine across the room. The owner was walking straight towards us, seemingly on his way to William’s office, but he came to an abrupt halt just before he passed. Visibly confused, his attention flickered between Elisabeth and me.

  Startled by the memory of him, I stared up at him, wide-eyed. Could this day get any worse? If he learnt my true identity, it was only a matter of time before rumours about my prior encounter with William would flood the office. As their latest trainee, that was the last thing I wanted.

  Elisabeth paused to regard him. Meanwhile, Andrew stared unashamedly at me with a bewildered expression on his face. Exerting every ounce of the self-discipline I’d harnessed over the years, I managed to remain composed. While feigning obliviousness, I returned his gaze with eyes that claimed innocence.

  “Sorry, was it Sandra?” he eventually brought himself to ask.

  Elisabeth came to my rescue. “Sandra? What on earth did you spike your coffee with this morning, Andy? This is Cara Darby, our new trainee.”

  Perplexed, Andrew’s eyes did a sweep of my body. Faint pink claimed his cheeks while he frowned to himself. After clearing his throat, his eyes returned to mine. Since I sympathised with his confusion, I gave him a small smile.

  “Sorry, I must have confused you with someone else,” he murmured, embarrassed. “I could have sworn you were her.”

  Elisabeth giggled. While giving my arm a maternal squeeze, she smiled up at me. “Please excuse him. He’s a delightful man.”

  “Yes, please pardon me.” Andy extended his hand to me. “I’m Andrew Thompson, but everyone calls me Andy.”

  While nodding, I clasped his hand and gave him another small smile. “Cara.”

  “Are you showing her around, Ellie?”

  “Sort of.”

  His attention shifted onto me again. “Why not William? I thought he was supposed to be her supervisor.”

  He was slick! I was certain he’d only asked to observe my reaction. Thankfully, my face didn’t even twitch.

  I said, “He had work to do. He seems delightful, though.”

  Andy tittered at my comment. “He seems delightful?” he echoed. “First time I’ve heard that. ‘Delightful’.” Another poorly stifled chuckle leapt out of him. “You’re in for a treat, love. Just remember that even though he may bark, he never bites. Where other people might end a sentence with a question mark, Will usually finishes with a full stop. It’s just who he is and always has been,” he said. “But as long as you’re aware of that, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

  I was almost tempted to say, ‘No shit, Andy. I’ve already gathered as much,’ but I refrained.

  Elisabeth smirked. “I haven’t briefed her on what to expect of her boss’ general behaviour yet, so thank you for taking care of that, Andy.”

  He gave me a wink. “I’ve got your back, sweetheart.” Directing his focus to Elisabeth again, he asked, “So he’s busy right now? I’ve got something I’d like to run by him, preferably before his meeting with the lawyers from Lightning Charge this afternoon.”

  Nodding, Elisabeth replied, “While he’s always busy, he hasn’t got anything besides paperwork until then. I’m sure he could spare you five minutes if it’s urgent and you ask nicely.”

  “Great, thanks.” Steering his eyes back to mine, he grinned. “Pleasure meeting you, Cara.”

  “You too.”

  As he walked away, he shook his head to himself, and I had a suspicion as to why. I feared he would probe William about me in only a few moments. If he did, I prayed William would either tell him a lie or ensure his silence some other way.

  “Appears you’ve got a replica out there, somewhere,” Elisabeth remarked and started walking again.

  “Would seem so,” I replied, amused.

  “I’m sure her freckles aren’t as adorable as yours.”

  Her compliment made me flash her a grin. I’d always been grateful for the freckles that covered my nose, and they were in fact Aaron’s favourite part of my face.

  I paled as I thought of him. Now that I was bound to encounter William time and again, I was certain it would wreak havoc on the dynamic between Aaron and me. It had taken me a week to recover from my session with William, and Aaron had spent it growing worried about our arrangement. How was I supposed to manage this time around?

  By not sleeping with William, I thought to myself as the obvious answer. I was motivated to manage that for several reasons: for the sake of my placement, for the sake of my friendship with Jason, for the sake of my arrangement with Aaron, and last, but certainly not least, for the sake of my sanity, my education and finally my career.

  “Here we are,” Elisabeth brought me out of my thoughts and motioned towards a free desk.

  “Thanks,” I replied, perhaps too eagerly, but I was in dire need of privacy.

  I’d have to call Olivia as soon as I left. She was the sole person I could confide in about this, and I was desperate to talk to someone. I would use her as a soundboard to air my thoughts. Perhaps then, I’d be able to make sense of this dreadful mess.

  As I went over my contract, I found nothing I’d like to discuss. Unsurprisingly, it was faultless. I hadn’t expected any less of a law firm. However, I couldn’t help but read the contract with William’s voice in my head, because I could imagine that he had penned it. Authoritative and impatient, his otherwise sensual voice barked every single word at me. It caused a constant grimace to cover my face as I read through.

  Bloody hell, he was everywhere – even in my head. I felt like I was suffocating.

  “Cara,” his voice suddenly called. That wasn’t where I was in my contract? My head snapped up when I realised he was truly speaking to me. Whirling around in my chair, I discovered him standing behind me, slightly bent across my shoulder.

  “Shit, you scared me!” I immediately recoiled towards my desk.

  “Not my fault you’re so oblivious to your surroundings.”

  “I was concentrating.” My gaze shifted to his shoes. “I hadn’t expected Bigfoot to move so quietly.”

  Amusement danced in his eyes before he closed them to refocus.

 
“I’ve got ten minutes to spare, should you want to go over your contract now.”

  “I was just finishing.”

  “Then let’s continue in my office.”

  A normal human being would have said, ‘Right. Shall we continue in my office?’ But of course, he was everything except that.

  Ascending from my seat, I gave him a scowl. Disobeying him in full view of the others was out of the question, regardless of how much I wanted to when considering that being alone with him wasn’t good for my mental health. However, professional as I was, I collected my contract to heed his command.

  When I walked past him, his hand landed on my back, and I immediately stiffened. Did he think I required a compass to find his office?

  “I can walk by myself,” I muttered under my breath when we were out of hearing range.

  Devoid of emotion, he quietly replied, “I’d prefer not to walk behind you. My eyes keep landing on your beautiful bum, and I’d hate to objectify you like that.”

  With cheeks hot and red, I charged into his office and watched him close the door behind him.

  “You can’t speak to me like that,” I grumbled firmly. “I was actually considering signing a moment ago, but you just reminded me why I shouldn’t!”

  “Calm down.”

  I gaped. How could he, as an able lawyer, possibly find his comment justifiable?

  “Calm down? Are you actually telling me to calm down when your comment clearly constitutes sexual harassment under the Equality Act of 2010?”

  His eyes widened with his shock, and the sound of his sharp inhalation satisfied me profoundly. Since he appeared speechless, I continued, “Do you tell Ellie that you prefer not to walk behind her since you’ll sexualise her if you do? As if that’s not completely unheard of and therefore acceptable behaviour? I am utterly serious about this placement, and I ought to be treated as such.”

  Aghast, he blew his cheeks out and gripped his hips while he processed my tirade. At last, he had the decency to look thoroughly ashamed of himself. “You’re right. It’s completely unacceptable, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”