Page 53 of Perfect Liar

He shut the door and pulled on his shirt as he came back over to the bed. He rested his lips on my temple.

“We were so close, baby.”

I didn’t know why, but the least romantic thing possible popped out of my mouth.

“You weren’t concerned about contraception or?—”

“—I have no concerns. I saw your pills on the plane, and I was tested before I came over for you. I would never touch you without knowing it was safe for you.”

I suddenly felt shy.

“Oh. Well, what about me?”

He grinned.

“I assumed you would be on top of that as well.”

I nodded.

“Good,” he said.

“Go take care of your business, Will. I’ll wait for you.”

He grabbed a raspberry from the food tray.

“No, don’t wait up. You eat and then sleep.”

He put the raspberry in my mouth, brought his mouth to mine, and smashed the berry with his tongue, tasting it, tasting me.

I touched his face.

“Promise me you’ll eat, Elle. It’s been days. Mrs. Bates will have your green salads ready tomorrow.”

Without my response, Will walked away.

I threw myself back against the pillows, smiling while remembering the disbelief on his face back at the beach house when he noticed kale and avocado salads were full meals for me.

Just as he went through the doorway, he glanced back and saw me smiling.

“There you are, baby,” he said.

But then his soft expression became a scowl, and he left me all alone with that.

CHAPTER 16

Will worked late into the night and then left for his London office early the next morning without saying goodbye.

It was easy for me to forget that he had a career and responsibilities other than fighting off my personal death squad. Lying there in bed, knowing he was so far away…two hours by car, I thought more about the past few days. About our time in this room. About my grief. And his compassion.

While staying with me, holding me, he told me about his family and his business. His captivating voice took me through his stories, making me want more.

The lockdown in my head had kept me quiet, but I was still right there with him.

Will had gone to Oxford, earned his MBA, and co-founded a private equity firm with Ethan, where they held the top positions as active partners.

He’d described his company and how it functioned. He and Ethan focused on distinct aspects of the business, each leading their own management teams.

Ethan conducted research and sourced investors and specific investments while Will negotiated contracts, closed deals, and monitored portfolios. Ethan mastered building their network, but Will was the one who closed deals and had the CEO title.

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