Skin of the Night: Book One of The Night series

by Claire D. Bennett

  His cheeks expanded with air. After releasing it, he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. While rubbing his face, he said, “You’re so out of touch with your emotions. You give your head too much esteem. You need to listen to your heart more.”

  Because it was true, I sobbed. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m trying to get better at it.”

  A sigh escaped him, but when he reached for my hand again, I saw hope for reviving my heart.

  “You’re not the only one owing an apology here,” he murmured and, finally, his gaze blessed mine with its attention. “I was rather drunk last night – drunker than I can remember being in quite some time. Had I not been, I would have handled it better. I wasn’t prepared to meet him, and I’m very sorry for how I behaved. Truly, you’ll never know how sorry I am.

  “After I left last night, I sat in my living room for ages. When Jason called for the nth time, I had started to sober up somewhat.” He shook his head. “Cara, my heart was in my throat the whole time. I felt like vomiting. I couldn’t think of anything else. I felt despicable. I was angry with you, but I was also angry at myself. I hate that I hurt you like that. What I did, what I said – it wasn’t right.”

  “Apology accepted,” I assured him.

  His eyes widened with surprise. “Really?”

  Tears trickled down my cheeks as I nodded. “I’m not one for wallowing in the past, Will. I prefer to move on. There’s very little I can do about what happened, and I believe in second chances. We’ve both done awful things to each other. I’m no more innocent than you are. However, it needs to end. We can’t keep treating each other like this, so if you mess up again, I won’t be as merciful.”

  While nodding his agreement, he dropped his gaze to our hands.

  After a loud exhalation, I continued, “Let’s get to the hard part, shall we?”

  His eyes dashed to meet mine again. Alarmed, he stared at me. “Hard part?” he breathed nervously. “I thought apologising was the hard part.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Coming from you, that doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Then enlighten me.”

  I raised a brow. “What are you going to do to mend your ways?” I was trying to gauge his current stance regarding Aaron. Perhaps I could keep them both if I played my cards right. Obviously, I would still want Aaron in my life, even if we couldn’t have sex anymore. He was one of my dearest friends.

  “Mend my ways?” William echoed. “You mean if I meet him again?” His relief transitioned into frustration in the span of a mere breath.

  “Yes.”

  “I won’t punch him, but I won’t be nice, either,” he muttered like an impudent child.

  Wondering where to go from here, I reclined onto the mattress and studied the ceiling for a while.

  He sighed, but it didn’t make me look at him. “Cara, I know he’s your best friend, which is why I’m sorry. I have no right to be interfering with your life like that, and I know it. But you have to understand that when you’re about to sleep with another man, I’m not going to like it – especially not after what happened between us on Friday, when you said you’d consider giving me a chance. Frankly, I found it disrespectful. I feel used.”

  His statement prompted me to look at him again, and I studied him in silence while I tried to weave my thoughts together.

  Once I’d figured out where to begin, I sighed to myself before saying, “I understand why you would feel that way, Will, but it wasn’t my intention to disrespect you when I decided to invite him home with me. I had no idea you would be here. Had I known, I obviously wouldn’t have invited him.”

  “Yes, but—”

  I raised my finger to cut him off. “I wasn’t finished.”

  “Sorry,” he mumbled and averted his eyes, and I thought he resembled an adorable puppy in that instant.

  “However, William, I entirely agree that it was disrespectful of me to send you such mixed signals. You made yourself abundantly clear on Monday about where you stand. And, since I told you I’d consider dating you, I completely understand why you would assume it was mutually understood that I would refrain from sleeping with anyone else until I had made up my mind.

  “In the end, I knew you wanted more, so it was truly ugly of me to disregard your feelings like that, even if it wasn’t my intention. Either way, my negligence is unacceptable, and I truly am sorry about that. You didn’t deserve it. I was simply too confused to think clearly.”

  From the intensity of his subsequent frown, I could tell he was growing increasingly confused. “Cara, honestly, you’re doing my head in. One moment you’re with me, and in the next, you’re running for the hills. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do. All I know is that I want to be yours, and I’m not ashamed of it.”

  Again, that sweet but foreign feeling crowded my heart, making it clench. A moment later, it expanded until it occupied my entire chest, making it difficult to breathe normally. It tickled, too – delicious, profound, and yet somehow so delicate.

  In that brief moment in time, I felt entirely alive. Dynamic and full of life. I could feel my blood course through my veins while the sound of my heart drummed in my ears. All my senses sharpened.

  Suddenly, life wasn’t just something that I had been tossed into and emotionlessly endured. It was vibrant, it was vigorous, and it was magical. The present had never felt more real to me than in that moment.

  I hadn’t noticed my blush until he pointed it out. My entire body felt hot, so I hadn’t given a thought to the fact that my face would be, too.

  “You’re blushing, Cara,” he said, and it was with a beautiful, unsullied smile.

  “You’re very blunt.” I mumbled my explanation.

  “Just,” he sighed, “give me a chance. That’s all I ask – just one chance. I swear you won’t regret it. I’ll make your time worthwhile. I guarantee it.”

  “You sound very confident, William,” I replied with a grin, and the relief I experienced stowed my tears away. “Why do I feel like I’m interviewing you for employment?”

  “Hire me, please.” He groaned and collapsed next to me to stare intensely into my eyes. “Please, just fucking hire me. I’ll be the best partner you’ve ever had, and I will work day and night to ensure that your needs are met.”

  Before he could continue, I chimed in, “Is that a pun?”

  An involuntary laugh slipped out of him. “Cara, don’t make light of this. I’m being serious.”

  “Sorry. Please continue.”

  When his amusement subsided, he raised my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it repeatedly. “If you hire me, I will make you the happiest you’ve ever been. I swear it to you.”

  My grin widened until my cheeks hurt. “Heavy promises.”

  “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” He was resolute, eyes glowing like never before. He must be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

  I pursed my lips at him. So self-assured. Tantalising and alluring, he was, and despite my mistakes, he still wanted to be mine.

  To end our misery, I said, “Fine.” A giggle escaped me. “You can take me on a date.”

  Launching onto me, he rolled until his large body covered the entirety of mine. As I stared susceptibly into the splendour of his eyes, my heart raced at our intimate position and our new reality.

  “Really?” he asked disbelievingly.

  I gave him a shy smile. “Yes.”

  “Oh my God. I can’t believe this.” He sounded overwhelmed.

  “That makes two of us,” I mumbled, amused.

  “You’re – Cara – fuck,” he uttered in his disbelief and shook his head. “I thought I’d completely fucked my chance last night.”

  I shrugged. “No. I understand why you behaved like that, so I forgive it. And you drive a hard bargain, Will. Trial won. Your methods are a wee bit controv
ersial, but they worked.”

  “I’m honestly speechless.” His voice was almost a whisper.

  “I should warn you, though,” I murmured while wrinkles formed across my nose. “I’m not familiar with dating. I’ve never really done it before, so you’ll have to cut me some slack. You’ll need to be patient with me.”

  His eyes softened. “I’ll do my best. Friday?” he suggested. I giggled at his eagerness. He resembled a young boy on Christmas morning.

  “Sure. Friday works. If you stand me up, that’s it,” I warned.

  “I wouldn’t dream of doing that,” he replied, baffled. “I’m not self-destructive.”

  “Last night begs to differ,” I twitted.

  He smiled in defeat and nodded. “I’ll take care of planning our date.”

  “No cinemas. I’d like to be able to talk,” I pointed out.

  “I’m not ten, Cara,” he retorted sarcastically.

  “You act like it, sometimes, so excuse me for having low expectations.”

  Instead of replying, he offered another unsullied smile while his right hand travelled to my cheek. While he dried the traces of my tears, the tenderness that shone from his features set my body alight.

  I longed to feel him again, both within and without. I wanted him to consume me the way the skin of the night consumed the light of day to reveal infinity. Like the night sky, I hoped his devotion would be infinite. There in the dark, I could strip to my core without fear of judgment, for eternity.

  Hesitation emitted from him when he gauged the desire in my eyes. Slowly, he lowered his head to invite my lips, and I met him with full force. A sense of liberation celebrated in my blood when his sensuous mouth moulded against my own, and the ensuing passion it despatched vanquished my self-control. Wrapping my limbs around his strong frame, I hugged him tightly and returned his amorous kiss with vigour.

  I’d been so blind up until now, but he had pierced the darkness like a star upon the endless sky. While I was frightened of what awaited me, I trusted him completely to be my guiding light. There was no other man I would follow into the unknown – only him.

  Capsized by the lust that I ravished him with, his hands began exploring my body, running down my white satin robe to worship what I had now devoted to him exclusively. His caresses set my system aflame with libidinous urges. I couldn’t restrain myself. My aching for his flesh was overpowering.

  Smoothing my hands along his back muscles, I didn’t stop until I reached the towel wrapped around his hips. There, I slid my fingers beneath it and clawed into his taut cheeks. As he felt it, his smile interfered with our kiss.

  Pulling away, he grabbed my jaw to arrest my eyes. I retracted my claws immediately.

  “Aroused, Cara?”

  Blood flooded my cheeks. Was he going to refuse me again? “Yes,” I complained.

  “How aroused?” he asked sensually, hand releasing my jaw to trace down my throat. Speechless, I remained captivated by his eyes while his finger travelled lower. Reaching the valley between my breasts, he journeyed left to circle my erect nipple. The tantalising feeling of it led raw arousal to centre between my legs, lubricating me further.

  “Please, Will,” I begged in a whisper.

  His familiar crooked smile emerged on his mouth, and his eyes contained not a trace of mercy. “Please what, Cara?” He dragged his finger across my chest to circle my right nipple. When he suddenly flicked his finger across its erectness, I inhaled sharply. “These are begging for my attention, aren’t they?” he purred and continued to circle it.

  “Yes,” I moaned.

  A smug chuckle leapt out of his mouth before he propped himself on all fours to hover above me. Abandoning my breasts completely, he trailed his finger towards the sash of the robe instead. When he proceeded to pass it, my body tensed with suspense.

  He lowered his head again, and not even an inch separated our mouths. The mint of his breath spread across my lips, beckoning. “Show me how aroused you are, Cara.”

  Reaching between us, I responded boldly by gripping his hand to guide it further down. Spreading my legs, I pushed my underwear aside with my free hand and dipped his fingers in my arousal.

  A hungry grin spread his lips apart while sore desire awakened in his eyes. “Show me where it feels best,” he ordered. Fresh heat painted my face while I raised his hand a little higher and slightly to the left. When his finger rested upon my most sensitive area, I released his hand.

  “There,” I said vulnerably.

  He applied pressure. Pleasure bolted through me at once, and my lips parted.

  “Ah.”

  Suddenly, he pulled away to retreat out of bed. At first, his action inspired dread, but it ceased when he proceeded to reach for his towel. Unfastening it, he revealed his erection to me, and the sight aroused me like nothing else. By now, I had nearly forgotten how well-endowed he was, but the view reminded me at once.

  Unashamed, I gawked while my eyes scanned his state of undress. The view made my heart jolt. My memory did his true beauty no justice. He was nothing short of stunning, and he was about to bless me with his carnal attention. I could hardly contain my excitement.

  Like an aggressive drum, my heart hammered rapidly when he approached my figure again. Meanwhile, his gaze was sizzling. I was burning up under its heat when he gripped firmly around my ankles to remove my socks, one by one. All the while, I stared at him, transfixed by both his allure and aesthetic perfection.

  My breathing grew louder and faster. Behind it, the magnitude of my feelings was entirely overwhelming, and they seemed to have manifested in my chest, embedded to remain forever. Suddenly, my lungs were sharing the space with something entirely new.

  One after the other, he tossed my socks away before kneeling beside the bed to trail sensuous kisses up my calves. Under the tingling sensation of his lips on my skin, my body shuddered while the hair rose on my arms.

  Teasing electricity charged between our bodies, intensifying my lust for him. At his touch, I felt powerful enough to shake the whole world, as though I’d become divine.

  He kissed his way upwards, large hands grazing their way up my thighs until they snuck under the skirt of my robe to hook into my underwear. His shoulders and back muscles rippled with his movements, and I savoured the vision of him. He was exquisitely masculine. I’d never met a man more appealing in my life. Compared with his robust physique, I was fragile, but it was something I relished. He resembled a human fortress – impenetrable and a source of safety.

  Ruled by impatience, he tugged my knickers down my legs. Only when the cold air touched my folds did I realise just how ready I was – completely drenched and just waiting to be claimed by none other than him.

  When his generous kisses reached my knee, I swallowed my heart back down and tossed my head back. With closed eyes, I surrendered to the blissful feeling of his mouth drawing closer and closer to my sex.

  His breath fanned across my thighs. “You have the softest skin, darling.” Fastening his arms around them, he yanked me towards him.

  I gasped. His swift action resulted in his mouth being much closer to my folds, so I whipped my head forward again and watched him with wide eyes.

  A smirk dwelled on his sinful mouth when he glanced back at me through his long, dark lashes. “The taste of you has been haunting me for months, so forgive me, but I demand my share.”

  Since I’d – for the moment – forgotten his proclivity for verbal expressions when it came to sex, I blushed profusely. Nevertheless, it turned me on to an extent only he could manage, and it rendered me speechless. Immersed in suspense and untameable lust, I ran my fingers through his hair and gently tugged it.

  The unbreakable spell that his eyes conjured maintained my imprisonment, so I could only watch as he leaned closer to press a gentle kiss directly on my bundle of nerves. Like a most powerful strike o
f electricity, the delicious friction rippled throughout my body, making me quiver in my desire for more. Cool air spread across my wetness as he chuckled at my reaction, and then his warm tongue lapped over my folds to sample my taste.

  Ah, that felt so good.

  “Mm, Cara,” he crooned and strengthened his hold of my thighs. “I want you to touch yourself while I make you come with my mouth.” Erotic William Night. The thrill of experiencing his verbal ways of delivering carnal pleasure again was wildly refreshing.

  Yielding to his command, I caressed myself while he drew slow circles around my clit, sensitising me and preparing me for direct impact. If he’d learnt this technique during his time with Kate, I felt incredibly grateful towards her, because I was the one taking pleasure from it now.

  “Ah,” I groaned and untied my robe to bare my breasts. Meanwhile, his expert tongue switched patterns, going round and round and then up and down along the sides of my throbbing clit.

  This teasing was driving me mad. He was even better than Aaron, and it was nothing short of tormenting. I was desperate for his direct attention. More aroused than I’d ever been, I knew what I had waiting, and I wanted it all. Now.

  “Will,” I pleaded and gathered my fingers around my erect nipples. “Please, you’re driving me mad.”

  He chuckled against me and gave my clit a single direct flick with his tongue. At once, intense pleasure charged through me, making me stiffen.

  “I can’t help myself,” he claimed and gently pushed the tip of his middle finger into me, but it only flirted with my entrance. “There’s nothing I enjoy more than watching your body respond to me.”

  “But I want you now,” I whined and abandoned my breasts to reach for his jaw. I tried to lift his head away, but he refused. Wrapping his hands around my wrists, he locked them by my sides and smiled mischievously at me.