Skin of the Night: Book One of The Night series

by Claire D. Bennett

  Realising that I’d lost this battle, I looked sideways for a moment. “Right, well, you’ll relent your advances, then?”

  He nodded.

  Somehow, I hadn’t expected him ever to agree, so the surprise made me gape. “Really?”

  “Well, it’s not like you’re giving me any other option, is it?” He gave me a scowl before he focused on cutting his sandwich again. “And, if it’s true that you’ve had a hard time focusing on your exams because of me, I’m genuinely sorry. I hardly want to get in the way of your education.”

  “William, thank you,” I breathed, relieved, and stared gratefully into his eyes. “You’re doing us both a favour.”

  He laughed, but it was a humourless sound. “I’m really not. Giving me a chance won’t stunt your career, Cara. On the contrary, it will boost it. I can’t believe you don’t see that. You’re denser than I thought – definitely too stubborn for your own good.”

  Offended, I glowered at him. “Look who’s talking. And there’s no need to be rude.”

  “Well, pardon my manners,” he replied nonchalantly. “You were right about one thing, though: these really are delicious.” While giving me a wink, he filled his mouth with another bite. I couldn’t fathom how he managed it, but his playful tone and laidback behaviour left a smile on my mouth.

  “My dad makes similar ones,” I murmured. “He’s an excellent chef.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Jamie.”

  “And what does Jamie do?” he queried, and I sensed his interest was sincere.

  “He’s a sixth form philosophy teacher.”

  “Ah.” He smirked. “No wonder you’re so confused.”

  I tittered. “Twat. I’m not confused.”

  Regardless of how much I tried to deny it, his winsome grin made my heart throb. “And your mum?” he asked. “What’s her name? Are they married?”

  “Her name’s Lillian, and yes, they are. Going on twenty-one years.”

  “So, they had you before they married, then?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What a bastard you are,” he joked, and I was amazed at his ability to extract genuine laughter from me under these circumstances. “What does Lillian do, then? She a teacher like your father?”

  I shook my head. “She’s an economist. Inspired my sister, actually.”

  Evidently surprised, he looked up and paused chewing. “You’ve got a sister?” he asked after swallowing.

  I raised a brow. “She’s lesbian, Will, so you may abandon that mission at once.”

  The sound of his ensuing laughter was music to my ears. “I honestly wasn’t thinking along those lines.”

  “Sure you weren’t.”

  “Is she younger or older?”

  “Younger. She studies business at Columbia in New York.”

  He seemed impressed. “Your parents have birthed clever children, I hear.”

  I smiled. “I could say the same to you.”

  “I’ve always suspected you of being an elder sister.”

  “Really? Why?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know. Might be your independence, not to mention your drive.”

  “Hm.”

  Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected this interaction to unfold the way it did, but we remained in the café for another two hours, talking about everything and nothing. He shared heart-warming stories from his childhood with Jason, and I adored hearing about it. The strength of their bond was something I truly admired, because it was even deeper than the one I had with Phoebe.

  Tales from his days as a student had been particularly riveting, because his inexorable drive had been clear between the lines. We’d dived into politics, too, and I had been amazed when I’d learnt we shared the same view on almost everything. From there, the conversation had travelled to music and art, films and literature – I’d told him Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was one of my favourite classics from childhood, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he had read and enjoyed it, too. We’d even discussed celebrity gossip, although neither of us boasted much knowledge on that.

  The whole experience was so intense that when we were about to part ways, I caught myself wondering whether I was actually making the right decision. Our chemistry was more apparent now than ever, and I wasn’t blind to it. If there existed such a thing as soulmates, I thought he might be the closest I’d ever come.

  “Here,” I murmured as we stood outside, about to head in different directions once and for all. Withdrawing the paper bag from my backpack, which contained his clothes, I handed it over to him.

  “What’s this?” Frowning, he unfolded it to have a peek inside. Upon recognising the contents, he froze, and for some reason, seeing him react like that upset me rather a lot.

  “Thanks for the loan,” I murmured.

  Unexpectedly, he handed it back to me immediately. “Keep it.”

  “I’ve no need for it.”

  “Neither have I. Please, keep it.” As I looked into his eyes, it occurred to me that he wasn’t offering it as a token of kindness. He was begging me to hold onto it because he couldn’t bear the memory, much less the finality which the return entailed.

  “Okay,” I said, because I wanted to spare him from any more pain. As soon as my hand closed around it, his gaze fled mine.

  “Thanks,” he mumbled. “I… I’ll see you around, I suppose.”

  “Yeah.”

  I watched as he turned to leave, and my heart felt heavier now than ever before.

  16

  SMOOTH, BUT POWERFUL, JUST LIKE YOU

  Finally, it was Monday the 10th of June, which meant my exams had come to a close and that I was about to start work. I’d partied all of Friday night with my fellow students as we celebrated completing our bachelor’s degree. It was odd how having a degree to my name suddenly made me feel much older than I was. I had surely become an adult, hadn’t I? Milestone accomplished. Wherever had my teens gone? I missed them. They’d been such carefree days. All I could think of now was overcoming the next obstacle in my career. For the moment, that was showing up for my first day at one of the top City firms, being Day & Night LLP, for my work experience placement.

  I’d woken up at six to prepare for it. Knowing I would be shadowing and assisting none other than William for the span of the next three months, I’d been trepidatious while I’d completed my morning rituals and cooked breakfast for Jason and myself.

  I had encountered William several times since our conversation at Farm Girl, but we’d always made it brief. Every time he’d been over to visit Jason or watch a match with him, I had stuck around for ten minutes to be polite before I had retired to my bedroom. Similarly, he had avoided prolonging interactions with me as well, and he hadn’t sent me a single message since that fateful Sunday in May.

  I had frequently questioned whether I had made the right choice, but upon receiving my exam scores back, I had been reassured. The exam that had suffered the most was Company Law, which was when my trouble with William had been at its peak. After we had settled our dispute, I’d been able to ace my remaining two exams.

  To be as prepared as possible for my first day, I had decided what to wear the day before – a beige pencil skirt with a white silk blouse to go with it. Low, white heels completed the outfit as I made my way through the revolving entrance door of the huge Day & Night building on Cannon Street. At the reception sat a lady, brown hair tied into a bun atop her head. Nervous, I approached to let her know I’d arrived, and struggled to keep my rising pulse under control.

  Halting before her marble desk, which was decorated with beautiful flower arrangements, I met her dark eyes. There wasn’t a trace of a wrinkle on her face, though I suspected she was in her early forties from the experienced gleam in her eye.

  “Hello, Miss,” she greeted. “Ho
w may I help you?” She smiled up at me, baring white teeth behind rosy red lips.

  Dazzled by her smile, I swallowed. “I’m a new trainee. Cara Jane Darby is the name.”

  Nodding, she typed on her computer. After confirming my name with a virtual list, she pressed the hands-free device attached to her small ear. A silver earring flattered the lobe of it. She had an excellent taste in jewellery, I noted; she presented herself as positively elegant.

  “Yes, hello, Ellie. It’s Debbie. Miss Cara Darby just arrived.” She paused and then nodded. “I’ll let her know. Thank you.” Hanging up, she directed her attention back to me, and smiled again.

  “Elisabeth will be down in a moment, Miss Darby. May I offer you any refreshments while you wait? A cup of tea, or perhaps some coffee?”

  I paled. Did I look like I needed coffee? Or refreshments? At once, I stifled my self-conscious thoughts. What was I thinking? She was only being accommodating, which I was certain was part of her job. Hold it together, I told myself, but I was extremely nervous about seeing William again. Even though I had no plans of dating him, I wanted him to think me beautiful – not tired.

  “I’m alright, thank you.” I motioned towards a group of white chairs at the far end of the lobby. “I’ll wait over there.” I headed towards them.

  I’d hardly grabbed a seat by the time Elisabeth’s round figure exited the lift and approached the security gates. While swiping her card, she gave me that ensnaring smile of hers, and I was amused that I still remembered the beauty of it.

  “Hi, Cara,” she greeted excitedly. “How are you?”

  “Hi, Ellie.” I stood to approach. “I’m alright, thanks. How are you?”

  “Excited to start your first day?”

  “I am.”

  “Good. Will usually arrives at eight, so we’ll have some time to get you settled before then.”

  “Great.”

  § § §

  Elisabeth had left my side for a minute while I was setting up the computer I would be using for work. Of course, that was when I saw him from the corner of my eye, and the way my heart responded made me cease breathing for a moment. It lashed out against my rib cage, beating so aggressively that I could feel my pulse thumping in my throat. Inwardly, I begged him not to notice me immediately, as I could have used a few seconds to regain my composure, but judging from the direction of his travel, he already had.

  The sight of him made me want to sob. It wasn’t fair that anyone should look so appealing fresh out of bed. How did he do it? My memory did him no justice at all. Every time I saw him, I was equally astounded by his beauty. I hoped I would be able to keep from blushing, but as soon as I thought it, heat crept into my cheeks and all the way to my scalp.

  With a winsome smile on his face, he halted in front of my desk. “Morning, Cara.”

  “Morning, Will.”

  “Glad to see you’re already familiarising yourself with everything.”

  I smiled. “Ellie thought you might appreciate the efficiency, so she asked me to arrive at half seven.”

  “She knows me well.”

  Lowering my gaze from his handsome face, I noticed he was carrying two cups of Starbucks coffee.

  “This one’s for you,” he said and placed the smallest on my desk. Perplexed, I studied it for a brief second.

  He’d bought me a coffee on his way to work? He’d thought of me this morning? How often did I cross his mind? Part of me wished it were often. Since he persisted in plaguing my mind, I wanted it to at least be mutual.

  “That was kind.” I looked up at him. He shrugged his broad shoulders and sipped on his own cup. After swallowing, he exhaled and grinned.

  “Flat white is your favourite, right? Smooth, but powerful, just like you.”

  Surprised he remembered, I stared at him for some time, gathering myself.

  “It is. Aren’t I supposed to be fetching coffees for you, though?” I eventually managed to reply.

  He chuckled. “As if I’d ever trust you to fetch my coffee for me. It’d be laced with poison, I’m sure. I haven’t got a death wish.”

  His banter made me laugh.

  “You’ve got an adorable laugh,” he commented and gave me a bashful smile. His compliment made me stop. Instead, my blush increased in intensity.

  I cleared my throat. “Don’t you have work to do, Mr Night?”

  “Right now, I’m working on you.”

  It was far too early for this. “Well, you know it’s futile, so you might as well stop.”

  He grinned. “How did your exams go?”

  “Really well, actually. Well, apart from Company Law, where I could’ve done better.”

  He nodded and tucked his hand into his pocket. “Glad to hear leaving you alone served its intended purpose.”

  “Yes.” I smiled. “Thanks.” Behind him, I saw Elisabeth reappear.

  “Morning, Will,” she greeted.

  He turned. “Morning, Ellie. Thanks for being here earlier than usual to help Cara get started.”

  She smiled. “Least I could do.”

  “Still, I appreciate it.”

  “I thought you might.”

  “Anyway,” he said, his eyes straying to the door to his office, “I’ll leave you to it.”

  Hopelessly intrigued, I stared after him with a smitten expression on my face.

  “No,” Elisabeth suddenly said. “Trust me, Cara, you do not want to dig into that.”

  It felt like somebody had just punched me in the gut. Had she seen me ogle him just now? She must have. Breathless, I responded, “What?”

  She sent me a stern look. “Trust me.”

  While clearing my throat again, I focused on my new computer. “Dig into what? I wasn’t—”

  “You were.”

  I pouted. “Well, I’m sorry. I was only admiring the view. He’s a good-looking man.”

  She chuckled. “He is, but don’t fall for it. He’s a complete workaholic and has absolutely no interest whatsoever in relationships. Trust me. I’ve asked him several times, and it’s always the same ambiguous answer: ‘I’m single, but I’m not available.’ So, don’t fall for his charms, alright? I’d hate to see you mess this up.”

  I didn’t blame her for having that impression. However, in this particular respect, I suspected I knew him better than she did. Nevertheless, her statement did make me wonder. What did he mean when he said he was single, but not available? Had he abandoned the idea of relationships since our talk? The possibility intrigued me.

  I sent her a warm smile. “Ellie, I’m committed to my studies. Don’t worry. Besides, I’ve already got a man of my own to serve that purpose, but it’s nothing serious.”

  “Really?” She beamed at me. “What’s his name?”

  I chuckled at her childlike display of enthusiasm. “Aaron.”

  “Aaron,” she echoed. “Did he study law as well?”

  “Yeah. We were in the same year. He’s shockingly clever. I owe him several of my A’s actually, seeing as he was also my study partner.”

  “Good for you,” she said with a smirk. I nodded as I reached for the coffee William had given me. While lifting it to my mouth, I noticed the black ink of a marker on the side. The instant I turned it, my eyebrows arched in dread.

  Viva la Sandra, it read. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  “Long live Sandra my arse,” I muttered under my breath before I closed the Chrome window to get started on actual work.

  § § §

  William had remained in his office while Elisabeth and I covered some basics. She’d shown me how to fill in timesheets, which time codes to apply depending on the tasks I completed, as well as the difference between non-chargeable time and chargeable time. She’d also taught me the basics of ‘WIP’, which was short for ‘Work in Progress’. Essent
ially, it translated to the total amount of chargeable time a team had recorded against a time code on a specific client code. After that, she had taught me the basics of billing, and had brought me to the finance team at Day & Night to show me how to send an invoice to a client. Once we returned, she taught me the firm’s IT system, how to accept calls, where to store notes on clients, and how to set up appointments and meetings in the solicitors’ calendars.

  We were just about to head for lunch when an associate exited her office and proceeded to approach Elisabeth and me. Glancing up from my computer, I stared at her, entranced. I remembered her vividly because she was one of those women you simply did not forget. Her eyes captured mine almost immediately, and below them, a slow smile made its way across her lips.

  Violet.

  I thought as I watched her that it was no wonder William had wanted her as a sexual partner. Her beauty was remarkable, and there was an assertive aura about her that reminded me of William’s. They had to be kindred spirits, so of course they would take a liking to each other. I wondered if she was still sleeping with him.

  “Hello,” she greeted once she reached my desk. Now that I had the chance to look at her more closely, I assumed she was in her early thirties. “I haven’t had the chance to introduce myself yet, but I’m Violet.” She extended a hand to me, and I admired her manicured nails before I took it. Her grip was firm, and her smile bright.

  “Hello,” I greeted enthusiastically. “I’m Cara.”

  She released my hand to fold her arms. “I’m aware. Will’s told me a lot about you.” Her eyes gleamed in a way that made me question whether he had told her more than I’d be comfortable with.

  “Has he? Only kind things, I hope.”

  She chuckled. “Absolutely. Your dedication to your ambitions has been particularly emphasised.”

  I swallowed. Was she insinuating something? I struggled to understand whether she knew about us or not.

  “He knows me well, I suppose.”

  “Hearing it reminded me of myself,” she said with a smile. Tilting her head, she continued, “So, I’m sure you’ll manage brilliantly during your time with us.”