My fingers worked furiously on the buttons of his shirt and it’s a miracle that I didn’t rip a single one off as I finally undid the garment and slid my hands onto his hard, warm, torso. The marks left by the lightning were still there, visible in the light of the moon, and my hands and then my lips caressed them. They were the reason we were here. They were why his body was just moments away from joining with mine and satisfying a desire so intense that I already knew he was going to ruin me for any other lover.
‘How do I get you out of this?’ he groaned, his hands searching for the zip on my dress. For a second I felt an ancient power thrumming through me, hearing how badly he wanted me. But as I guided his hand to the fastening, I knew that he held just as much power over me.
The zip slid down and his hands found every inch of skin it revealed as it fell open. My back was still to him as the dress tumbled past my knees and then to my ankles. I stepped out of it. His hands slid around my ribcage and then travelled slowly upwards until his palms covered my naked breasts. I fell back against him, groaning in pleasure as his fingers and thumbs found my nipples and began teasing them. I wriggled back against him and felt a hardness that I couldn’t wait to reveal and release. I reached behind me, my fingers already fumbling with the hook at his waistband, when I felt a vibration thrum against my arm. I sprang the clip free and my hand dipped into the opening. Beneath my fingertips I felt the arrow of hair that I was planning to follow, but then the vibration came again and this time we both froze.
His hands fell away from my boobs, and I looked down sadly at the way my erect nipples still stupidly thought this was going to continue, because the rest of me already realised that it wouldn’t.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Rhys whispered hoarsely into my ear. ‘I should take this.’
I swallowed hard. ‘I know. I understand.’
I stepped away as he pulled the mobile from his pocket. The room was warm, but despite slipping on the robe I plucked from its hook on my door, I felt cold. I burrowed deeper into the soft velour folds as though they were a shield against the inevitable.
Rhys had turned away to face the window as he took the call. I’m not sure why, because I could obviously hear every word of his side of the conversation.
‘What’s wrong?’
I don’t know what Annalise said in reply, but my own response would have been ‘everything’.
Shame made my legs give way and I sank down onto the mattress that we’d never quite made it to as he asked, ‘How bad was it? Did you need to call for an ambulance?’
I could see his face from where I sat. The passion had been erased by criss-cross etch marks of concern. ‘Did you phone 111?’
His jaw tightened to whatever the response had been to that one. The shadows from the moon and the tree branches decorated his face with moving tattoos. I focused on them as Rhys continued to ask questions.
‘How is her breathing now?’ His shoulders relaxed at whatever his ex said, and for the first time, he looked my way. His eyes were full of regret.
I shook my head, letting him know that it was fine. It didn’t matter.
‘Yes. Yes. Alright,’ he said before lifting his wrist to check his watch.
‘About half an hour, or so. Tell her I’m on my way.’
By the time he’d hung up, I’d rearranged my features into the right expression.
‘Tasha?’
He sighed. ‘She’s had an asthma attack. It wasn’t a major flare-up, so Annalise decided it didn’t warrant a trip to A and E.’ Heshook his head, and I saw on his face the toll that each episode like this must have on him... on all of them.
‘I’m sorry, Ellie, I need to go and see her. Annalise says she’s asking for me.’
‘Of course you must go,’ I said, scrabbling off the bed and searching on the floor for his abandoned clothes. I kept my face averted as I hunted for the items that I’d been so eager to remove, while Rhys summoned an Uber.
‘It will be here in four minutes,’ he said, slipping the phone back into his pocket.
‘Still plenty of time for a quickie, then,’ I said, hoping that the joke would land the way I wanted it to.
He gave the first smile I’d seen since the phone call had interrupted us.
‘I told you before, I don’t do quickies.’ But even while he was saying the right words, I knew his thoughts were already flying across town towards his daughter. Which is exactly as it should be, I told myself, and for once my conscience completely agreed with me.
I hated that his daughter was sick. I hated seeing the anxiety on his face. But most of all I hated his torn expression when he looked at me.
‘The car’s here,’ Rhys said, glancing down to the street below to verify what his phone had already confirmed. ‘I have to go, but I’ll call you tomorrow.’
He brought his hand to the back of my neck and pulled me in before pressing a hard parting kiss onto my mouth. It tasted like regret.
He stopped just once at the door, to look back at me.