Chapter 19 That stopped me . Just for a second . Louisa Granger . The only member of that genetically cursed family I'd actually liked She used to call me her darling girl ' and meant it. She remembered my birthday . She bought me books I actually read . She once told . me I had a fire in me and that it was beautiful . [ ] Meanwhile , my own mother thought my jewellery designs were a hobby I'd grow out of and that fire belonged in fireplaces or hell ' Come to dinner , ' Rhys carried on , his tone clipped . Just don't say anything to her about … y'know . Us . " ] Of course he wanted me to lie for him . Again Wow . Wow . Brave of you , ' I said , voice sharp enough to julienne a courgette . " What happened to that big manly energy you were showing off with Catherine ? If you're so smitten , why not bring her to dinner and introduce her to the fam ? Or are you worried Mummy might not approve of your shiny new mistress ? He didn't reply . I didn't wait for him to . I hung up , tossed my phone on the sofa , and muttered , ' Bloody coward . ' ] *** 0 Half past ten , I'd just put down the TV remote and dug out an unfinished sketch from my tablet , thinking I could snack my way into some inspiration . [] I barely got two bites of leftover lo mein in before the lights cut out like a budget horror film . One second I was basking in LED brilliance , the next I was plunged into darkness , lit only by the ghostly glow of my tablet screen . [ ] I practically launched myself off the sofa . My heart did a triple backflip before I realised it was just a blackout . Again . Because of course this bloody floor had the electrical stability of a soggy biscuit I fumbled for my phone and rang Mr Donnelly . No answer . I called again . Still nikhing Classic Donnelly - less ' property manager , more ' professional ghoster . ] I wouldn't have put it past him to fake a blackout just to speed up my moving out . ] I'd already said I was leaving . Did he really need to go full supervillain with the power supply ? No wonder this place was cheap . Faulty wiring and a landlord who disappeared faster than my willpower around cake . Still , for rent that low , I couldn't stay mad for long Besides , I was out of here soon enough Grumbling under my breath , I groped my way into the stairwell to check the fuse box . Of course it was mounted at a height best suited for NBA players I'm nearly 57 " and had to stand on tiptoe like I was doing pirouettes in the dark - only with more swearing and less grace Not that it helped . I stared at the jumble of switches like it was written in hieroglyphics . [ ] " Woody hell , " I muttered , returning to fetch a chuir before I electrocuted myself out of sheer guesswork . Just as I reached my door , the neighbour's door eased open . [ ] And there he was Like me , he was using his phone as a torch , which gave me a clear view of his face . His fringe , usually styled like a GQ cover shoot , was loose and damp , making him look about five years younger and way too good - looking for the average tenant . [ ] Droplets slid from his hair down his neck , past his collarbone , down over muscles that really needed a warning label . [ ] The man had on nothing but a towel . Just . A. Towel . And judging by the little rivers of water tracing down his torso , he'd rushed out of the shower to investigate the blackout without bothering with trivial things like clothes . I tried very hard not to ogle 1 Tailed spectacularly To be fair , it was like being hit in the face with a very well - sculpted Greek statue [ A very wet , half - naked , annoyingly sexy Greek statue Last time I saw him , he'd been dressed to the nines in a tailored suit . I hadn't expected him to be this stacked . It was like finding out your accountant moonlighted as a Calvin Klein model . [ ] My brain short - circuited for a moment. I just stood there , blatantly gawking like some creep on a stag do He caught me staring . Of course he did . His eyes - partly hidden under a mess of damp fringe - crinkled ever so slightly . Then he glanced at my ears , probably clocking that they were turning the same colour as a cherry slushie , and finally turned back inside . He came back a minute later wearing a white T - shirt . I blinked and cleared my throat . Now that he was fully clothed - or at least pretending to be - the tension eased a bit and my brain came back- online . ] ] I launched into an explanation about the blackout and the fuse box situation . Sorry to bother you . I didn't expect the power to go out at this time of night , and the landlord's decided to ghost me . " " It's no bother , ' he said in that deep , low voice that probably doubled as white noise for insomniacs . He brushed past me and headed to the fuse box . He didn't even have to stretch . Where I'd nearly dislocated my toes trying to reach it , he just flicked the switches like he was turning on a light in a fridge . ] Must be nice , being tall and useful . He squinted at the fuse box for a moment , flicked another switch , then muttered , " Looks like the main breaker's loose . Might've been knocked about - cheap casing , maybe . I'll see if I can tighten it up . ' || " Oh , okay , " I said , nodding along like I was following , even though my brain had already clocked out of the electrical conversation and checked into the gym that was his back . The white cotton T - shirt clung to him in all the right places - or maybe it was just thin enough to show off everything he had going on underneath . Every time he moved , muscles shifted under the fabric like they were choreographing a silent dance routine . [ ] It was hypnotic . Like watching bread rise . Or lava lamps . But hotter . [ ] I must have been staring at his back like a total weirdo for a full two minutes before I remembered I was supposed to be helping , not Jeering . I cleared my throat . If it's a hassle , don't worry about it . It's late anyway . I should probably just call the landlord in the morning Without turning around , he said , There's a storage room near the stairs . Might be a pair of pliers in there . Grab them for me . ]