This makes him smile. ‘Well, yes. And I’m going to be a selfish bastard and not share any of the time we have left with anyone else.’

Penelope isn’t going to argue with that. ‘I’m entirely yours, Ty Peterson.’

Chapter 61

61

Darcy tosses and turns. Her bed usually feels like a cloud but tonight it feels like she’s lying on a pile of sticks. She kicks back the twisted sheets from her body. It’s useless; sleep isn’t going to be her friend tonight. Her new job as a segment producer on Lifestyle should be the only thing on her mind, but she can’t stop thinking about Ed.

She finds herself pushing out of bed. Her new room is half unpacked, with boxes and suitcases carpeting the floor. She digs around until she finds a jumper to pull over her pyjamas. She opens her bedroom door and tiptoes quietly so she doesn’t wake Tara, her new flatmate sleeping in the other room, who has an early call time tomorrow.

Darcy grabs her keys and wallet and tells herself not to think about what she’s doing. She has to keep reminding herself to breathe as she manoeuvres her car through the darkened suburb. She parks, blocking out the fact that it’s very late at night. Much too late to go knocking on someone’s door.

She walks down the hall of the apartment block. A sliver of light peeks from under the door. Despite all the pretending, her heart is racing high in her throat. She lifts her hand and knocks.

After a few moments the door flings open. Ed’s in trackies and a T-shirt. The computer in the background is bright, frozen on a close-up of a wedding cake. He’s been working.

‘Darcy? Is everything okay?’

She wonders if she can trust her voice. She shakes her head a little. No, everything is not okay. She has feelings for him she can’t contain anymore. ‘Is Zoe here?’

‘What?’ He shakes his head, a little annoyed she’s asked him such a question. ‘It’s the middle of the night. Why would Zoe be here?’

Darcy feels stupid for asking now. ‘I thought there might be something going on between the two of you …’

‘So, you were going to pounce on us in the middle of the night and do what?’

She hangs her head. She’s not sure what she would have done if Zoe had opened Ed’s door in her pyjamas.

He sighs. ‘I told you, she’s my boss. Nothing’s going to happen.’

‘But she wants it to,’ Darcy urges. ‘Call it women’s intuition, but she likes you.’

He groans and shrugs at the same time. She knows she’s frustrating him, but she can’t help herself. ‘If she wasn’t your boss would you be interested in her?’

‘Darcy, no! What’s gotten into you?’