Page 67 of Never Tell Secrets

“You haven’t mentioned it yet, that I cut most of it off. I thought it would have been the first thing out of your mouth but that first time you saw me again, you didn’t even seem surprised.”

“I guess I wasn’t.” He slid his hand further into my hair, his fingertips brushing my scalp. I shivered, tensing.

“Alfie…” My tone was full of warning.

He pulled his hand away immediately. “I apologise. You not wanting to wear this dress, it wasn’t just about your fear of my control, was it? You didn’t want to wear it because you’re afraid of me being attracted to you.”

I was tempted to deny it but then I decided, what was the point? He’d know I was lying anyway. “You figured all that out in the last five minutes?”

“I figured that out in the last five seconds, since I looked at you and you froze like you wanted to run back inside.” We eyed each other, letting this new revelation sit with each of us.

“If you don’t want me, I’m safer.” I shrugged.

“You know, sometimes you have really bad breath in the morning.” Of all the things I could have guessed he was going to say next, that would never have been it.

“Your point?”

“My point is that I always want you.” He stepped closer to me, his gaze darkening. “No matter how you look, you’re never safe from that, O’Connell.” With that, he opened my door, and under his heated gaze I slid inside onto the cool leather. This was going to be a long night.

“So, where are we going this time?” I asked when he slid in beside me. “Another fetish club?”

“No. Don’t look so nervous, you’re going to enjoy it,” he grinned, “I swear it on my money.”

We drove for over an hour before Alfie finally pulled into a deserted side road. Street lights disappeared leaving ourheadlights alone to guide us. Anxiety prickled in my stomach, rising when he pulled up in front of what looked like an abandoned church. It was boarded up, falling down in places.

“Uh…so, am I about to be sacrificed or…?” I trailed off as I stared out at the place that I was ninety nine percent sure was haunted. Alfie chuckled beside me, unbuckling his seat belt.

“Come on.”

Outside, the cool autumn air bit me. I looked up at the foreboding building. I did not want to go in there.

“Alfie, if there’s a priest in there and I’m about to be tricked into marrying you, I swear to God I’ll?—”

“There’s no priest. Just trust me, alright?” I gave him a disdainful look but it didn’t seem to faze him. I took a breath and followed his lead to the front steps. “Just out of curiosity, what would you have done if I had planned a wedding?”

“Married you. Obviously.”

“And regretted it later?”

“Oh yeah. Big time.” I glanced up at him as he shook his head. “We’ve gotta make fun of ourselves, Alfie. This whole story of ours would be way too depressing if we didn’t. Truthfully, if you’d planned a wedding I would have told you to go fuck yourself and I would have never spoken to you again, but you already know that.”

To my surprise, he chuckled. “Blunt as ever.”

The old iron handle creaked as Alfie turned it, the tired hinges groaning as he swung the door open. I stepped inside and gasped when I realised we weren’t alone. Dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on us from the dais. Where there should be an altar and a podium, instead was an empty space filled with musicians.

“The London Symphony Orchestra,” Alfie whispered. I stared up at him, lost for words. I walked down the aisle, fixed at his side. The conductor stood centre stage, calmly waiting. No one moved, no one spoke. Alfie guided us into a pew wherecushions and blankets waited for us. “This spot has the best acoustics.”

“Alfie, what is this?” I asked, sliding into my seat.

“It’s something I wanted you to experience live. I would have taken you to a show but I wanted privacy. Here,” he pulled a plush blanket over my lap, settling it around me, “I didn’t want you to be cold.” He turned to the front and gave a brief nod to the conductor who turned to face his orchestra. Alfie grinned at me. “Are you ready?”

Ready for what?

Before I could ask, the orchestra broke out into a complex series of notes I would know anywhere.Vivaldi. The Four Seasons.Live.Our own private show in an abandoned building with the best acoustics. I looked at Alfie, his gaze intent on me. A smile broke out over my face.

I leaned in to whisper in his ear. “This is so fucking cool.”

He grinned right back at me and when he slipped his hand into mine, I didn’t fight it. I fell into the music, the lilting tones that had served as the soundtrack to our dark romance.