by Lynn, K. I.
That Night
Copyright © K.I. Lynn
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This work is copyrighted. All rights are reserved. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the author.
Cover image licensed by WANDER AGUIAR PHOTOGRAPHY
Model: Andrew Biernat
Cover design by Lori Jackson Design
Editor:
Marti Lynch
Nancy Smay
Danielle Leigh
Publication Date: March 23, 2020
Genre: FICTION/Romance/Contemporary
ISBN-13: 978-1948284196
Copyright © 2020 K.I. Lynn
All rights reserved
Title Page
Copyright
Soundtrack
Acknowledgments
Intro
Part 1
Part 2
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
After all the words and all the things…
About the Author
More books from K.I. Lynn!
Lykke Li—Little Bit (AutoErotique Bootleg Remix)
8 Letters—Why Don’t We
What A Man Gotta Do—Jonas Brothers
Lover—Taylor Swift
Raising Hell—Kesha
Trampoline—SHAED
Someone You Loved—Lewis Capaldi
Unsteady—X Ambassadors
Sucker—Jonas Brothers
365—Katy Perry
Say You Won’t Let Go—James Arthur
Lost in the Fire—Gesaffelstein & The Weekend
Electricity—Silk City & Dua Lipa
Almost (Sweet Music)—Hozier
There’s No Way—Lauv feat. Julia Michaels
Lost In Japan—Shawn Mendes & Zedd
When the Truth Hunts You Down—Sam Tinnesz
Slow Hands—Niall Horan
Dangerously—Charlie Puth
To Massy…this is all your fault. Love you, boo!
Thanks to Danielle for saving me when I was drowning.
A wave of nausea rolled through me, and all because someone heated up some sausage in the break room. It was a smell that would have normally had my stomach growling, but not the past week. My stomach clenched before heaving up my breakfast and expelling it into the toilet.
“Nat, you okay?” my best friend, Jenna, asked as she knocked on the stall door.
I hastily wiped at my mouth and flushed the toilet as I stood. “Yeah.” I turned the lock to find Jenna’s dark brown eyes staring at me, a toothbrush and toothpaste in her hand.
“I love you,” I said as I took them from her.
“You look like shit.”
“I feel like it.” My stomach clenched again, but I managed to breathe through it. Thanks to my actions that night, I was now swallowing back waves of nausea.
“Can you cancel the meeting?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Jenna was always prepared, and I was very thankful to be able to wash my mouth out. I watched her reflection in the mirror as she pursed her lips, then pulled the hair band from her wrist. She took hold of my long, straight brown hair and manhandled it until it was a perfectly coiffed ponytail. Using her fingers, she pulled at some of the strands on top, lifting the front a bit.
I finished brushing and took the offered lipstick while she pinched my cheeks.
“I hate when you do that,” I said as I straightened my sweater and adjusted my skirt.
“You look like the dead. I’m trying to bring some life into your skin.”
She was right, and it definitely did help. “Thanks.” I turned and stepped through the door and back to my desk to gather my binder for the meeting with the finance executives.
“Are you going to tell me what is going on?” Jenna asked as she followed me. Her own desk sat a few from mine.
My phone chose that moment to go off, a random number crossing the screen.
Happy Valentine’s Day
It was the second vague message I’d gotten from the strange number in recent weeks, but there was never more information or anything to identify the sender, so I brushed it off.
“Not right now.” I picked up the binder along with a notepad and pen and turned to head to where the meeting was beginning in a few short minutes.
She grabbed hold of my arm, the normal mirth in her eyes clouded with concern. For days she’d known something was wrong, and it was obvious she wasn’t letting me brush it off anymore. “You’ve been spazzing all week long. Spill.”
I huffed and looked around to make sure no one was listening before leaning in. “Not now.”
“Babe, I’m worried about you and—”
“I’m pregnant.”
Her eyes widened as she stared at me. “Wait, what?”
“You heard me.” I turned and started walking toward the conference room, but Jenna was hot on my heels.
“How? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I blew out a breath. Talking about my surprise pregnancy in the office was not the best plan. However, Jenna had caught me throwing up in the bathroom and helped me fix myself up again. It wasn’t like I was keeping it from my best friend—I was going to tell her at breakfast tomorrow, not in the middle of the work day.
The news was still fresh to me, and I was processing and coming to terms with it while trying to figure out if there was any way I could find the father. My heart sank with that thought, one I’d tried my best to keep away, to keep from feeling the loss of something that could have been.
One magical, glorious night with quite possibly the man of my dreams, but I hadn’t heard from him since and I had no way to contact him. Not even a last name. And I felt like an idiot because of it.
I had given him my number before we parted, but maybe he didn’t feel the level of connection I did. Which only made my situation worse, because I wanted more than one night and I’d been certain he did too.
“New Year’s Eve.” It was cryptic, but she was also the only one who would understand, the only one in the building who had been there.
Her eyes popped wide. “Richard? Seriously?”
I nodded and continued on the path toward the conference room. Richard, with his devilish smile, perfectly styled brown hair, and vibrant blue eyes. Strong arms and wicked wit to combat my own. A gentleman at his core and an attraction neither of us could deny. Combined with the wit, it created some very flirtatious conversations—that then led to him between my thighs.
“I can’t believe you got knocked up on New Year’s Eve!” Jenna whisper yelled as we passed through the entrance to the conference room.
“Jenna!” I hissed, glaring at
her.
She slapped her hand over her mouth once she realized we were no longer alone. “Oh my God,” she mumbled through her fingers.
The whole room had heard, and all chatter ceased. Great.
My jaw clenched tight and I drew in a deep breath before turning to the room full of executives. It was my first meeting with them in my new position as a supervisor of accounting and acting manager while my manager, Nina, was, ironically, on maternity leave.
Most of the room had come down from Chicago, and I’d already made the worst first impression possible. Turning toward them, I made sure my head was held high, ignoring what Jenna just exposed for all to hear.
Some gazes moved awkwardly from me and I was ready to move on to the meeting, but I froze at the sight of the man sitting at the head of the table. Our eyes locked, and I felt mine widen. His did as well, but then he quickly schooled his expression, though I did notice that his lips were still parted in surprise.
“Natasha?”
“Richard?” I stared at him in absolute stunned shock. It was him. The man of my dreams and father of the spawn brewing inside me had a last name, and he was none other than Richard Bennett, VP of Finance. My boss’s boss’s boss’s boss.
Shit!
The room was silent as we stared at each other. His eyes flickered to my abdomen and stayed there for a moment before meeting mine again. “Happy Valentine’s Day?”
A harsh laugh left me. “We’ll see about that.”
“Dinner? Seven?” he asked, and I knew it was an acknowledgement of what Jenna said.
The other executives’ gazes whipped between us in confusion.
“Sounds wonderful.” I gave him a tight smile. All the while, my heart slammed inside my chest in a combination of fear, anxiety, and a flutter of hope. He remembered me. I wasn’t forgettable. Not only that, he immediately wanted to see me, and somehow, I knew it wasn’t simply for the new information Jenna had just thrown out.
Seeing him again made me instantly remember everything about that night…
New Year’s Eve
I stared at my reflection, analyzing every angle. My light hazel eyes popped out from the smoky eye makeup, and my face was framed by what I called miracle curls of my coffee-colored hair. Perfectly pink lips with a hint of mischief finished the look.
The silver off-the-shoulder dress with its flared skirt was festive, along with a mix of cute and sexy. Best thing—pockets.
While I did have a wristlet, I could use the pockets as well. The silver wristlet had just enough room for my phone, lipstick, and some cards and cash.
“How do I look?” I asked as I stepped out of the hotel bathroom.
Jenna’s lips twitched up into a smile. “Like a hot beotch.” She slipped a silver bangle over her hand. “Zip me up?”
I stepped over as Jenna turned, the glitzy deep red of her fitted dress contrasting against her golden, fair skin. Like mine, her dress sparkled in the light.
Chicago’s Resolution Gala was all about the shiny. It was an event we’d both looked forward to for months—the ultimate year-end party. We booked a few nights at the W Hotel with a room overlooking the lake that included a great view of the pier, which was already lit up.
Earlier in the day, the drive up to Chicago from Indianapolis had been filled with car karaoke and a growing buzz of excitement for the evening’s event.
Jenna picked at my hair, fixing a few strands that were bound to be decimated in minutes, but still, she’d spent a considerable amount of time styling it. My hair was normally stick straight and fought every single curl, but Jenna didn’t back down. Her black hair was silky and about as straight as mine, so she knew how to make it submit.
“I think we’re ready.” She picked up her phone and hit a few keys before throwing it down on the bed.
A couch lined the wall under the window, and I sat there as I slipped on my black platform shooties—a combo of heeled sandals and booties. As I stood, I was suddenly four inches taller.
“I wish I was this tall all the time,” I lamented.
Jenna quirked a brow, her own four-inch heels still keeping her an inch shorter than me. “And you could be if you wore those every day.”
“I meant without them, smartass.”
“But just think how banging your legs would look all the time.”
We pulled on our coats so at least part of us would be warm out in the cold of winter in the windy city, and headed down to the lobby.
“Uber is almost here,” Jenna said as she looked down at her phone. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
The drive was a short one, but the line for drop-offs was nearly as long as the pier itself. Thankfully it continued to move at a fairly steady rate. It was way too cold out to walk, especially wearing a dress.
A gust of frigid air swept across my bare legs as I stepped out of the car and I cried out, hurrying my way to the entrance. We presented our tickets, then dropped our coats off at the coat check. With each step, my smile grew and the excitement pumped harder through my veins.
I felt as if my whole face lit up as I looked around in awe. The large dome structure was huge and already bursting with people. Lights of all colors moved around the room and up the dome walls, the music pumping through speakers. The deep bass beats shook the air, higher notes speeding up my blood as they pulsed through me.
“Oh, yeah, tonight is going to be trouble,” Jenna said as she scanned the room. A man in a suit was her weakness—mine too—and there were hundreds of them.
“Hell. Yes.” We high-fived and made our way to the closest bar.
Jenna ordered two vodka cranberries and we decided to move away from the entrance to a less crowded area.
Each step was a half dance—impossible to refuse the music and the movement it demanded.
Between the music and the throngs of people, it took a few minutes to cross the great space. Then finally, we found a spot and paid homage to the DJ and his sick beats.
I let go, eyes closed, arms up, every inch of my body surrendering to the beat. There was no pause, each song rolling into the next with fluid precision. Jenna and I sang, and sometimes screamed, along with the lyrics.
“I’m out,” she said, pointing to her empty cup. I finished off the last few sips of mine, and we located the nearest bar for a refill.
We retrieved our cups and headed back to the area we’d been in when one of the many bodies around us turned suddenly and stepped into me. Everything moved very slow and very fast at the same time.
The wave of red was vivid before it suddenly splashed down all over the front of my dress.
“Shit! I’m so sorry.”
My mouth popped open wide, back hunched with my arms wide in an effort to keep the liquid from my skin. Before me was a black suit with a grey button-down. As I worked my way up, a strong jaw appeared, followed by a set of kissable lips, a slightly crooked nose, and brilliant blue eyes that almost glowed in the low light and made my heart skip. Considering how far I had to crane my neck to see the guy, I could tell he was easily over six feet, and he was staring at me like he was waiting.
“Shit,” was all I could manage before I scrunched my eyes and glanced down. The once silver cloth was stained with red.
“I need to go wash this.”
“Let me help,” he said.
I blinked at him, wondering how he was going to help but not willing to say no because he was too good looking. One of those types you wouldn’t kick out of bed unless he said he was better on the floor.
I nodded and looked to Jenna, who mysteriously didn’t come to the rescue and offer to help. She grinned at me like the Cheshire Cat. “You better go take care of that before it sets. We’ll find someone to clean this up,” she said with a wink.
He held out his hand to help me step away from the pool of liquid and ice at my feet. Once we were a few feet away I thought he would release my hand, but instead he held it tightly as we moved through the mass of people.
&nb
sp; We found the restrooms, and I was happy that there was one for families spaced between the men’s and women’s.
“Perfect,” he said as he held the door open, making sure to lock it behind him.
Inside was a good-sized space with plenty of room and a large counter and sink.
Immediately he began wetting paper towels while I pulled dry ones down. He took hold of the stack in my hand before I could say anything and shoved them down the front of my dress, holding them there. My eyes went wide and I drew in a sharp breath in shock at having some strange man’s hand invade my space like that.
My muscles coiled to slap him, but there was something very clinical about his actions, the crease in his brow as he manipulated the towels, and that stopped me. He had the wet ones pressed against the fabric and was using the dry ones underneath to soak up the moisture. It took about two seconds for the realization to dawn, and his eyes bugged out of his head before meeting my startled gaze.
“I am so sorry.”
“About the drink, or about shoving your hand down a strange woman’s dress?”
“Both, but definitely the latter.” Instead of pulling his hand out, he continued to dab against the fabric. It should have been awkward, but I found it more humorous than anything. “This is how I get stains out of my shirts before they set,” he said by way of an explanation.
I started to giggle, and he began to chuckle. There was a sparkle in his eyes that drew me in. “At least it wasn’t the bottom of my dress.”
“I definitely would have been rightfully slapped.”
“Or junk punched. I mean, I don’t even know your name and you’re already at second base.”
His smile was wide, exposing a perfect row of white teeth. “Hi, I’m Richard. It’s nice to meet you.”
I bit down on my bottom lip. “Hi, Richard. I’m Natasha.”
His eyes left mine and focused on his hands where he was blotting. “I think I got most of it.” He pulled a few more dry towels out, replacing the wet ones to pull out some moisture. “When it dries, you shouldn’t be able to tell.”
A gasp left me as his fingers brushed against my breasts when he pulled his hand out.