Page 49 of The Retreat

Talia’s body was on fire, every inch of her humming with the aftershocks of what had happened in the bathroom.

She could still feel the heat of Imogen’s lips against her skin, the intensity of the kiss lingering on her lips.

It was like she’d stuck her fingers in an electrical outlet in the best way possible.

But now, she had to sit through a corporate awards show.

Torture.

There should have been a Geneva convention about stopping someone in the middle of kissing someone when it was that hot.

Though Talia suspected no one in human history had ever had a kiss so steamy.

She looked around her, feeling pity for the people who had never been dragged into a stall by Imogen and kissed beyond the limits of sanity.

The poor bastards.

They hadn’t lived.

The voice of the presenter (Rebecca, of course) and the clinking of glasses around her were nothing but a dull buzz, each second dragging on like an eternity.

‘And next up,’ she trilled, ‘the coveted Most Dramatic Reaction to a Lost Pair of Spectacles award goes to June!’

Laughter rippled through the crowd. June got up and accepted a miniature gold trophy glued to a plastic base with a thin smile. ‘I didn’t bring spares,’ she told the room. They laughed. She didn’t.

‘And now for Most Relentlessly Positive Energy Before 8 am!’

Marcus was up on his feet before Rebecca even said his name. He knew his brand.

The room was alive with easy joy and good humour. But for Talia, every moment dragged.

Imogen was sitting next to her, her back straight, eyes trained ahead.

She was beautiful in a way that made Talia ache.

An extremely good ache that Talia wanted to feel forever.

She couldn’t believe how good her life was at this very moment.

She and Imogen were starting something, and she was about to get the job of her dreams. Everything was in front of her.

Talia thought this might be the greatest moment of her life.

The award for Best Newcomer was announced, and Alex’s name rang out like a bell. Imogen stood and moved her world-class bum to the stage, her eyes shy and happy at the same time. And Talia thought, I’m going to fall in love with her, and there’s not a thing I could do to stop it, even if I wanted to.

Imogen stood at the microphone, her eyes scanning the crowd, and for just a second, she looked uncertain. Talia smiled up at her.

Imogen caught the gesture and cleared her throat, smiling softly at the crowd. ‘I don’t have much to say,’ she began, her voice soft, steady. ‘I’m just really grateful I got to come and meet the people Talia spends her work life with. And I appreciate just how much I’ve been welcomed by you all.’

She paused, eyes scanning the room before landing on Talia once more. Her voice didn’t change, but something in the shape of her mouth did. ‘This weekend has been more than I could have expected. I came here thinking I’d be an outsider. But I’ve been very well looked after.’

There was polite laughter. No one else caught the slight emphasis she put on ‘looked after.’ But Talia did. And the look Imogen gave her as she said it sent a wave of fresh lust through her. As if she needed to be more turned on.

Still, it was almost over, right? And then she and Imogen could go back to the room and…

‘Are you OK?’ asked Celeste. ‘You look a bit flushed.’

‘No, I’m fine. I’m just wearing too many clothes,’ Talia told her. And there was no lie in that.

Talia was vibrating with anticipation as Imogen stepped back towards her. At that moment, all was so very right in Talia Knox’s world. And it could only get better.

Then it all went wrong.

A loud crash rang out from nearby. Someone collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud, sending the room into immediate chaos. The sound of chairs scraping against the floor, people shouting, panic.

The awards ceremony was forgotten as everyone rushed to the fallen person, some calling for help, others scrambling for water. Talia saw at last that it was Rhona, out cold on the floor.

‘Is there a doctor? We need a doctor!’ someone yelled. The room was in disarray, and all Talia could do was watch.

Then, amidst the confusion, someone else shouted, ‘Alex is a doctor! She can help!’

Talia’s stomach dropped.

The room turned to Imogen, and Talia’s head felt light. Imogen’s lips parted, but nothing came out. Imogen was drowning in this mess. The one Talia created.