He grinned. “I’m glad I didn’t give up, too.”
They listened to the radio on the way home, and Megan closed her eyes, enjoying these last tranquil minutes.
“Sleepy?” he asked her.
“No, just content. Or...almost content. I’m not ready for the night to end yet. I wish I could invite you in.”
“I understand. Your mom might be waiting up for you. I’m sure she’ll want to hear about the wedding.”
“Or issue more dire warnings about you.” Damn. She hadn’t meant to say that. The late hour and four glasses of champagne she’d enjoyed made it more difficult to censor her words.
“She barely even knows me.”
“Yes, well. She’s formed some conclusions.” Like mother, like daughter, Megan thought wryly. “She seems to think you have some lusty ulterior motives.”
“Guilty.” He pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. “Of the lust part, anyway. I’m not sure it’s exactly a hidden agenda. People can probably tell just by the way I look at you how much I want you.”
The way people could tell how happy Kate and Cole made each other just by watching them?
She decided to make the most of her uninhibited state. “I want you, too.” Without the engine noise or the music from the radio, could he hear her heart thudding?
He groaned, rubbing a thumb over her bottom lip. “So, what now? If I kiss you, I’m afraid I’ll try to drag you into the backseat.”
“I think,” she said slowly, “that you should walk me to my door.”
He nodded, his expression crestfallen. “It would be the gentlemanly thing to do.”
“Then I should tell my mom good-night. And sneak out.”
“What?”
“I never snuck out during my teenage years like some of my other friends. Don’t you think I’m overdue?”
“Long overdue.”
“You’re not picking up Tommy until tomorrow?”
“Right, he’s staying overnight with Kim and her boyfriend.”
“Then maybe I could come over. For a little while,” she said shyly. She couldn’t stay the night, but she could steal a little more of the present for herself.
Megan didn’t think any man had ever scrambled out of the car faster than Will did. She was chuckling when he opened her door. “Afraid I’ll change my mind?”
“No.” His voice was conspiratorial whisper. “But the sooner I walk you home, the sooner you can sneak out.”
* * *
EVEN THOUGH MEGAN was a grown woman entitled to make her own decisions, there was still an illicit thrill to tiptoeing out of her house. She’d taken the time to wash off her makeup and brush her teeth, but her ardor for Will hadn’t lessened in the moments she’d been away from him. If anything, the brief separation made her impatient for him. For his kisses. For his touch.
Are you sure about this? some prim inner voice asked as she crossed the driveway. You’ve never had a one-night stand before.
Well, there was a first time for everything, and she refused to overthink this. When you had a soul-deep craving for chocolate swirl cheesecake, you didn’t sit down with the box and read the nutritional information. You grabbed a fork, dove in and worried about calories later.
He was waiting for her on his front porch, barefoot in his slacks and the unbuttoned tuxedo shirt, looking like a potent female fantasy in the moonlight. They came together wordlessly, kissing each other for long, languid moments until he grated, “A better host would have invited you inside by now.”
“Hospitality is important,” she said solemnly.
Taking her hand, he led her through the house, pausing ever so slightly at the door to his bedroom. She nodded.
Then they fell across his bed, kissing again and tugging at each other’s clothing so that they could touch each other as intimately as they’d wanted to all evening. Dancing with him at the reception had been fun, but it had also been an exercise in frustration. As much as she’d enjoyed the feel of his muscles beneath the tuxedo, she’d craved the contact of his skin against hers. And Will was more than satisfying those cravings now. Clothes hit the floor so fast that she didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious—a blessing after having been pregnant with three babies.
Will, on the other hand, was damn near physical perfection. The hard planes of his torso, silvery in the moonlight, would haunt her most erotic dreams. Intense need built in her as he kissed the hollow of her throat and then her breasts. But she got nervous when he moved lower. He pressed a kiss against the inside of her thigh, and she trembled.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
He grinned at her. “Do you want me to answer that question, or would you rather I just show you?”
She bit her lip. “Wait. I don’t think—”
“Megan, so much of your life is lived for other people. Be selfish just this once. Let me do this for you.” He stroked his fingers over her in a silky tease, then slid one inside her. “Your job is to enjoy it. Can you do that?”
“Yes.” She arched under the heat of his mouth. “Oh yes.” Sensation overpowered her, reality seeming to blur as her body tightened with raw, unyielding pleasure. Her orgasm wrung a breathless scream from her, and she was still quivering when Will rolled on a condom and surged inside her.
She cried out again as they rocked together, and he took her mouth in a deep kiss that matched the rhythm of their bodies. He reached down between them, stroking her, and her second climax of the night pulsed through her.
Afterward, Will held her for a long time. She knew she had to leave, but she was too boneless with satisfaction to move.
“I have to go,” she said, dotting his forearm with light kisses. “Don’t want to get busted being out after curfew.”
His soft chuckle was a vibration against her body. “Right. I’d hate for you to get grounded because of me. I’ll walk you home as soon as I find the energy to put on pants.”
“You don’t have to. At least one of us should get to lie here and bask.”
“Megan Rivers, I am not letting you walk home alone at this hour no matter how close you live. Besides, I’m hoping to steal another kiss at your front door.”
He did exactly that ten minutes later, standing beneath her porch light. He gave her lazy, sweet, dream-of-me kisses. She sighed happily as she returned them.
Tucking her hair behind her ear he asked, “When does your mom leave?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Dagmar is coming over for lunch, so it will be sometime after that.”
He was quiet for a moment. “My work schedule is a little crazy this week—”
She braced herself, waiting to be told that he wouldn’t have much time for her.
“—and I’m sure that with Christmas next weekend, your schedule will be hectic, too. But maybe we could spend at least one evening together? I could pick up dinner or we could watch a movie with the girls or see those lights over at Brody’s ranch.”
“All of those would be good,” she said, trying to sound casually agreeable and not breathlessly euphoric. If he was asking her out again, this was definitely not a one-night stand.
Then what is it? A relationship? Neighbors with benefits? She didn’t know yet. But, so far, it was making her happier than she’d been in a long damn time.
Chapter Twelve
“...so Sierra and I decided to bury the body behind the barn and start up a new life in Mexico.”
Will blinked, realizing that at some point his friend had stopped talking about livestock breeding programs. “What?”
“Oh, good.” Jarrett tipped back his cowboy hat. “You’ve rejoined the conversation.”
“Sorry,” Will mumbled. When he’d agreed to come to the ranch today and help Jarrett repair fencing, he hadn’t known Tommy would ke
ep him up the night before. The kid was cutting his first tooth, which had led to a lot of drooling. And a lot of crying. When he’d left the baby up at the ranch house for Jarrett’s sister to watch, Will had felt equal parts relieved by the break and guilty for inflicting the teething child on someone else. But Vicki Ross was tough. She’d assured him that, if she could learn to walk again after months in a wheelchair, she could handle a fussy infant for a couple of hours.
“Sure you’re up for this?” Jarrett asked, pausing before swinging the hammer toward the post Will held steady. “I understand if you need to go. You look rough.”
“I’ll survive. Tommy and I are going to Megan’s for dinner, and she has a way with him. She— What?” He narrowed his eyes at his friend’s smirk.
“The two of you made a very cute couple at your brother’s wedding.”
“Did you just call me cute? Let me see that hammer a minute.”
“Admit it, you’re crazy about her.”
“I don’t know what I am.” It did seem crazy that he was so excited about seeing her tonight even though they probably wouldn’t have any real alone time, not with four kids under four. He’d be lucky if he got to steal a single kiss. And maybe it was a little crazy that he was spending all his free time with a woman who represented everything he wanted to postpone—family, commitment, permanence. They were even planning to go to Christmas Eve service together later this week.
Jarrett regarded him knowingly. “Do you remember when Sierra first came to Cupid’s Bow?”
“I remember that you crashed our one and only date.”
“I spent a lot of time fighting my feelings when it would have been better for everyone involved if I’d owned up to them sooner.”
“I’m not ‘fighting’ anything. I love being with Megan, and she knows that. But her life is complicated. And, until Amy comes back, so is mine. I barely had two solid hours of sleep last night and you want me to analyze my emotions?” He gave his friend a look of disgust. “Shut up and swing the damn hammer, already.”
* * *
MEGAN COULDN’T BELIEVE that it was already Christmas Eve. Where did December go? It had been a memorable month, full of surprises.
Her daughters did not share her bemusement. They were so full of excitement that they were practically ricocheting off the walls. The only way she got them to sit still long enough to dress them and fix their hair for church tonight was to suggest that it might not be too late for Santa to change his mind about who was on the naughty list. While she’d privately thought that the matching, lacy green Christmas dresses her mother had bought the triplets were a little impractical, Megan had to admit that her daughters looked great. Lily had a white bow in her hair, gleaming against her dark curls, and Daisy had a bright red one. Megan was still trying to situate a sparkly silver bow on Iris’s head when the doorbell rang. The rich, melodious tones pealing through the house made her smile; fixing the doorbell was just one of the many wonderful things Will had done for her.
She opened the door to find him standing with the car seat in one hand and a red mesh bag in the other. Stretching up on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “Merry Christmas.” She had wondered more than once, if she weren’t expecting Spencer tomorrow, would Will have invited her and the girls to spend Christmas with his family? And would she have said yes? She adored the Trents, who had all been very welcoming to her, but a shared family holiday seemed like a serious step.
Trying not to overanalyze her own feelings or what was happening between her and Will, she stepped back and said lightly, “Am I running late, or are you very early? I’m not ready yet.”
His gaze slid over her in an admiring caress. “What more do you need to do? I don’t think it’s possible for a woman to be more beautiful than you already are.”
She grinned, raising the hem of her red-and-black skirt just enough so that he could see her bare toes. “For starters, I should probably put on shoes.”
“We still have plenty of time,” he said over the girls’ exuberant greetings. “I did come over early. Since I don’t think I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, I was hoping I could give you and the girls your presents now.”
“You didn’t have to get us gifts. You’ve already cleaned the gutters, fixed the doorbell and installed a carbon monoxide detector.” Earlier in the week, he’d tested the smoke alarm batteries, looked up reports on her microwave model and practiced a fire drill with the girls that was both serious enough to educate them and lighthearted enough not to give them nightmares.
He tried to look stern, but his eyes were twinkling. “After the hours I spent in a crowded mall—”
“Cupid’s Bow doesn’t have a mall.”
“Fine. After the hours I spent in the toy store on Main Street—”
“Hours?”
“Look, woman, do you want your gifts or not?”
She laughed. “As it happens, we have a few small things for you, too.” In theory, they could have exchanged gifts after service tonight, but she would already have her hands full trying to get the girls to settle down for bed. Best to get the gift-giving excitement out of the way now.
They all gathered in the living room, and Will unbuckled Tommy from his car seat so that he could scoot around on the floor. “I already let Tommy open one of his gifts, so he could wear it tonight.” That explained the long-sleeved onesie drawn to look like a miniature suit, complete with a Christmas tie.
“Very debonair.” She eyed Will’s dark button-down shirt and black slacks. “You clean up pretty well, too.” Seeing him dressed more formally than usual brought back memories of Cole’s wedding night, of the night she’d spent in Will’s arms. Longing trembled through her.
Luckily, her daughters were there to play chaperone, interrupting before Megan’s desire got out of hand. “Mr. Will! I made this for you.” Daisy thrust a gift bag toward him. “Open! Open!” Lily and Iris were tripping over each other, both trying to deliver their presents, as well.
“Hold on. How about we let Mr. Will sit down first?” Glad for the excuse to touch him, she took Will’s hand and led him to the sofa. “You girls be careful not to step on baby Tommy.”
In somewhat orderly fashion—or as close as they were going to get with Christmas only hours away—the girls lined up their gifts at Will’s feet. Before he’d even finished opening Daisy’s, she instructed, “Eat it! It’s yummy.” On the plate inside the bag, she’d arranged a graham cracker fire engine with cookie wheels, a red licorice ladder and a gumdrop siren.
“If she says it’s yummy, she knows what she’s talking about,” Megan said. “She did a lot of taste-testing during this project.”
Daisy was already crawling into his lap. “Do you like it, Mr. Will? The gumdrop is my favorite. Gumdrops are yummy.” She eyed the edible fire truck pointedly, and Will laughed.
“I love my present,” he assured her. “But somehow I don’t think it’s going to last long.”
“Open mine!” Iris instructed, climbing onto the couch and wiggling in next to her sister.
Her gift was an art project they’d created by covering her entire hand with red finger paint. She’d made a handprint on paper, then she’d drawn hats and faces on each finger so that it looked like five firemen working together to operate a hose.
“This is wonderful,” Will said to her with a hug. “I’m going to ask the captain if we can hang this up at the station.” Then he moved on to Lily’s gift.
She was watching with wide eyes and her thumb in her mouth. “Faw the Cwistmas twee.”
Megan had helped her daughter make an ornament out of clay. It was a firefighter’s hat that Lily had painted red; Megan had carefully written Will’s last name and number on it. He looked genuinely touched as he thanked the little girl. Lily shifted from foot to foot as if considering coming closer for a snuggle, like her sisters had. S
he compromised by taking a few steps closer, then sitting on the floor.
“I have a gift for you, too,” Megan said, “but compared to what the girls did, it’s a little lame.” Every time she’d tried to think about what to get Will, she’d faltered. All of her ideas had either seemed too generic for a man who’d seen her naked or too personal, implying too much of a connection or future. Will had made it clear that he didn’t want to get too serious about anyone right now, and she didn’t want him to feel pressured.
Are you really respecting his feelings? Or are your protecting your own? As long as she told herself that she wasn’t too seriously involved, that she wasn’t in over her head, maybe she could keep from getting hurt.
Will opened the envelope she’d handed him and grinned at the Smoky Pig gift certificate. “There is never anything lame about giving a Texas man the gift of barbecue.” He reached past Iris to get the mesh bag from the end table. “Now it’s my turn to pass out presents!” He gave the girls three identically wrapped, lumpy packages with uneven seams and too much tape. The extra adhesive didn’t slow down the triplets as they tore into the paper.
Shouts of joy echoed through the living room, and all of Megan’s daughters were talking at once. “Look, Mama!”
“It’s so cute.”
“Thank you, Mistah Will.” Lily was cuddling an oversize stuffed dog; from the look on her face, it was clear her new best friend would be riding with them to church and no doubt sleeping next to her tonight.
Iris held an adorable plush snowman, and Will reached over to ruffle her curls. “Like you said, Christmas should have snow.” Iris nodded emphatically.
He’d done an excellent job shopping for her girls, but it was the stuffed animal Daisy was snuggling that was pure genius. Will had bought her a snarling green T. rex; he’d tied an incongruous purple bow, Daisy’s favorite color, around its neck.
“Heads up.” Will tossed a lumpy package in Megan’s direction, his expression mischievous. “I have one for you, too.”
The Christmas Triplets Page 14
