Page 64 of Midnight Wishes

Alex let himself scratch the back of his head again. ‘Yeah, I, uh’—he laughed sheepishly—‘I got a bit distracted from my normal post-shower routine.’ The miracle serum his hairdresser swore by smoothed his natural curls into gentle waves when he ran it through damp hair.

No one saw him like this. He barely saw himself like this. But he didn’t mind it with her.

‘C’mere, Princess.’ He stretched out his hand. ‘Let me say good morning.’

Something was wrong. In the cosy domestic setting he’d imagined, Sarah was perched on the counter while he stood between her knees and fed her fresh berries—the ones he’d asked Maggie to add to her grocery list in case this very scenario occurred.

‘I should get going, actually.’ She shifted her weight between her legs.

And years of training came in handy as Alex kept his face very, very still, hiding any trace of the disappointment threatening to break through. ‘I was making breakfast.’

Sarah’s eyes flicked to the stove, softening in a way that wouldn’t have been noticeable if Alex wasn’t tuned into each of her micro-expressions.

‘I thought you couldn’t cook.’

Her voice was too quiet, and Alex thought back to her words the night before.

This isn’t us.

The way they were speaking now, so soft and careful, with no bite or flirty undercurrent?Thiswasn’t them.

‘Idon’tcook. Never said I can’t.’ He flipped a pancake to demonstrate his point, chewing on the inside of the cheek facing away from her. Though he wasn’t sure why he was still bothering if she wasn’t staying. What the hell had gone wrong between her fingers clawing at every part of him she could reach, eyes blazing, and now?

Pancake cooked on both sides, he slid it onto a plate and switched off the stove. ‘Give me a minute to put on a shirt, and I’ll take you home.’

‘I’ll get the train,’ she said quickly. ‘But could I…could I borrow this?’ She plucked at the white sleeve.

Alex took a step closer to the kitchen island so he could see beyond it. She was wearing his shirt, yes, but over her dress from the night before. It doused the flame inside him that had ignited at seeing her in his clothes.

‘If you’re trying to avoid the walk of shame look, I’m not sure it’s helping. Let me drive you.’

‘That’s— I’m not—’ She took a deep breath. ‘Last night was…great. But I really need to go. Party prep, you know?’

Great.

Not perfect or mind-altering. He would have settled for amazing.

But great.

The same way she’d described their anonymous fucking on a bathroom sink.

Alex flicked a burner back on, ready to cook bacon he wouldn’t eat. ‘Yeah. I’ll see you at the afterparty tonight?’ He hated that his voice broke on the last word, turning it into a question.

They only had a week left. And if the way she was acting just then was any indicator, he didn’t have a hope in hell of convincing her to keep going once those seven days were up.

Chapter 31

SARAH

Blame Brett | The Beaches

Sarah’s head collapsedinto her hands the moment she slumped into her Uber—because despite insisting she would take the train, she couldn’t face the thought of being in a car with any number of strangers. But more than that, she couldn’t face being alone with him, sure that if he kissed her again with anywhere near the care he had the night before, she would sag against him and say all the things she was barely keeping in.

Things likeyour eyes have become my favourite blue, andI’ve never wanted anything the way I want your hands on my waist, and—most terrifying of all—I think I’m falling for you.

Her hopes that her flatmates might still be in bed, allowing her to slip in unnoticed, were dashed when she heard giggles from the other side of their front door. Bracing herself, Sarah plastered on a smile and turned her key in the lock, walking in to find a picture so domestic it left a pain in her chest.

Abby sat on the edge of the kitchen counter, wearing one of Erik’s shirts. He stood between her legs, arms caged aroundher as he nuzzled into her neck. They both looked up—faces flushed and disgustingly in love—when she stepped on the creaky floorboard all three of them had been threatening to fix for weeks.

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