There is nothing quite like waking with the soft, warm body of a beautiful woman in your arms as she lies gently breathing in a postcoital haze. I slipped my arms from under her and left the bed. On my way to the bathroom I saw that it was 2:46. The night-time lights sparkled across the city landscape and I was wide awake. Aisling stirred, and whispered softly from across the room,

“Tony? Are you ok, love?” she said in a hushed voice in the cosy dimness.

I re-joined her on the bed,

“I couldn’t be any better, Aisling,” I whispered.

“Come back to bed,” she said softly.

“It’s nearly 3:00. Are we allowed stay here all night?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s all under control.”

I smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?”

“No reason,” I said. “I’m amused at the amount of Machiavellian machinations that must have been required by the evil mind that led me to this bed, in this place, with this gorgeous creature tonight.”

“Feminine wiles at work, you think?” she asked with a grin.

• Book 9 of 13
• Print length: 53 pages
• Language: English
• Publication date 5th February 2026