by Terri Osburn
Joe exhaled and patted Randy on the back. “I fell for Beth long before we had sex. As Patty would say, you’re smitten, dude. Good luck with that. Will seems like a tough nut to pin down.”
An hour ago, Randy hadn’t even wanted to pin her down. Well, maybe in a different context.
“If she even suspects what I’m thinking, this will all be over before it goes anywhere.”
Joe snorted. “If you’ve spent one night together, then it’s already gone somewhere.”
Randy ignored his friend. “I’ll bide my time. Wait until she thinks it’s all her idea.” That might work. He had time. It wasn’t as if either of them were going anywhere. “When she’s ready, I’ll be there.”
“You do that.” Joe finished off his beer. “Now I’m going to grab another beer and we can talk about what I wanted to talk about.”
“What’s that?” Randy asked.
“The bachelor party.”
Randy felt the sudden urge to tell Will something. “Let me get the beer. I need to see Will for a second.”
Joe shook his head. “You’ve got it bad, man.”
Fighting the crowd once more, Randy reached the end of the bar and waited for Will to notice him. She held up a finger to say she’d be with him in a minute, so he took the opportunity to watch her move. The jeans hugged her slim legs, disappearing into the black boots. Her trademark bangle bracelets slid up and down her arm as gracefully as Will moved behind the bar.
The loose-fitting Dempsey’s T-shirt was tucked into a waistband that hovered far below her naval. Randy imagined the ways he could get her out of the outfit.
“You drink the tea already?” she asked, leaning over the bar.
“Joe wants another beer,” he said, holding eye contact. “And I want to see you tonight.”
“I’m really tired—”
“I’ll come to you this time.” Randy would never force himself on a woman, and if she gave him a flat-out no, that would be it. But Will didn’t look like a woman about to say no.
“I won’t be home until after midnight.”
He slid the empty bottle her way. “Then I’ll see you after midnight.”
Will finally flashed him the smile he’d been craving all day. Now he had to make it to midnight without losing his mind.
Randy’s truck was nowhere to be seen when Will arrived home around twelve-thirty. She tried not to be disappointed that he hadn’t been willing to wait. If he was ever there at all. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t see each other the next day. Or that she couldn’t use a full night of sleep.
But he’d seemed so determined at the bar. Will never doubted for a second she had the final say. Still, the he-man thing was kind of cute. And she’d looked forward to not having to crawl out of his bed and drive home in the middle of the night. Now he wouldn’t be crawling out of her bed either. Damn it, she’d been looking forward to seeing him for the last four hours.
First he made her want to see him, which she didn’t want to do, then left her hanging.
Men sucked.
“Hello, gorgeous,” said a voice from the darkness. Will froze in the driveway, about ten feet from the edge of her small corner porch. “My truck’s under the house. Sorry if I scared you.”
And her gentle giant was back. But why had he parked under the house?
Stepping onto the worn boards, Will started to ask the question, but before she could speak, Randy pulled her into a long, intoxicating kiss that had her clinging to his shoulders and sucking on his bottom lip. The question drowned in the wave of lust.
“That was worth the wait,” Randy mumbled against her neck.
“I’m sorry,” Will panted, struggling to steady her breathing. “Have you been here long?”
“I pulled up at midnight in case you got off early.”
That was the sweetest thing she’d heard all night. Maybe all year.
Searching for her house key, she said, “We should probably go inside.” Where she could reward him properly for being so sweet. “I always forget to leave the light on.”
“Here,” he said, laying his hand over her trembling ones. “Show me which one it is.”
With as much focus as she could manage, Will flipped to the proper key and handed it over. “Thanks.”
They’d been together less than thirty seconds and he already had her a quivering mess. Good thing they were keeping this light or she might worry about his effect on her. Her heart was already more engaged than she liked.
Randy unlocked the door, then pushed it open for Will to step through first. Which made sense, since she knew where the light switches were. But it still felt like a chivalrous gesture.
In the seconds before turning on the light, Will tried to remember in what condition she’d left the place. In all the time she’d lived in this little surfer shack, she’d only ever entertained Sid, and that didn’t happen by choice. The first time Sid had shown up was an unexpected visit. Since then, she’d dropped by on occasion, always without warning.
Will had gotten used to it, and Sid didn’t seem to care about the presence or lack of a mess.
Will flipped the switch and let Randy follow her into the house. Since every surface, including the ceiling, was covered with wood paneling, the place never got all that bright. But it was cozy and came fully furnished and she’d come to think of it as home.
Albeit a temporary one.
Hanging her purse and keys on hooks by the door, Will stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “I have water and juice, but no green tea.” Moving a bowl of cold spaghetti, she searched the top shelf. “There’s a V8, but I have no idea how old it is.”
Will didn’t even remember buying a V8. Could that have been there when she moved in? Way to make yourself look like that gross person who never cleans out her fridge.
And why was she nervous and running this internal monologue like a woman who’d never had a man in her house before?
Because you haven’t had a man in your house in more than three years.
“Water is fine,” Randy said, appearing behind her, making Will jump and slam her head on the freezer door.
“Mother…” She cut the word off, grabbing the back of her head with both hands. Now she looked like the idiot who never cleaned out her fridge and smacked her head on things. Perfect.
Wrapping an arm around her middle, Randy pulled her clear of the refrigerator and closed the door. “This night isn’t going to be nearly as much fun if you knock yourself out before I get you out of that T-shirt.”
The wicked grin combined with the concern in his eyes were her undoing. Will pressed her forehead into his shoulder. “Can I ask a really big favor?” she murmured into his shirt.
Randy tensed, but said, “Anything.”
She knew he assumed she would ask him to leave. And he would. For her.
Lifting her head, she met his eyes. “Would you give me ten minutes to take a shower? I’d be better at this if I could feel human again.”
His shoulders relaxed as he dropped a kiss on the end of her nose. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
Thank God she hadn’t asked him to leave. Not that he wouldn’t have gone if that’s what she wanted. But that definitely wasn’t what he wanted. Waiting for Will to return, Randy leaned back on the tan couch with one foot propped on the large ottoman. He took in the small interior of the cottage.
Wood covered every surface, including the ceiling. He was surprised they hadn’t used it for the countertop as well. Not that the place wasn’t nice—it was. Dark, but nice. There was one large window along the back wall, which likely offered a killer view of the water. The cottage sat close enough to the sand that he imagined you could wade into the surf in about four steps.
A surfer’s dream location.
No personal touches graced the walls or furniture. No hint of the woman who lived among the worn couches and outdated lamps. He’d expected a picture or two. A piece of sentimental bric-a-brac. Based o
n appearances alone, the place could have been occupied by a weekend vacationer.
How had she lived here for more than a year and not made it her own? Being a renter didn’t mean you couldn’t put a picture frame on the end table.
“Thanks for letting me do that,” Will said, rubbing the bottom of her hair in a towel as she stepped into the room. “I feel so much better.” Tossing the towel over the back of a small kitchen chair, she asked, “Did you get yourself something to drink?”
“I’m good,” he said, smothering the urge to ask why there was no sign of her anywhere in sight. “I like the outfit.” Will wore a thin gray shirt over black yoga pants. “I can get you pants like that with the fitness club logo on them.”
“That’s nice,” she said, dropping down beside him, “but I’m anti-exercise.”
Randy sat up. “You’re wearing yoga pants. Yoga is exercise.”
“Wearing the pants and doing the yoga are two very different things, my friend.” Will crossed her ankles on the ottoman. “Ah, that feels good.”
As dark lashes rested against pale cheeks and wet black hair scattered about narrow shoulders, all Randy could think about was how beautiful she looked. Not a stitch of makeup, and a tiny hole gaping from the side seam of the shirt. Nails free of paint, both fingers and toes. Not the slightest affectation to enhance the good or camouflage the bad.
On Will, the good needed no enhancement, and the bad didn’t exist. She was perfect in his eyes.
“I can feel you staring at me,” she said, eyes closed. “I hope you didn’t expect me to put on makeup. At this time of night, what you see is what you get.”
“I like what I see.” Randy kissed her shoulder. “A lot.”
She turned his way, granting him a blushing smile. “I’m happy to hear that,” she whispered. Topaz eyes turned stormy. “What I’m looking at is pretty nice, too.”
Lifting her hand to his mouth, he trailed kisses along her knuckles. “Want to see more?”
Her laughter danced around them. “There’s a big bed in that room over there.” Will kissed his jawline. “Want to go see it?”
“Lead the way.”
She didn’t need to take his hand. Randy would have followed her anywhere. But she did, and he did, and they reached the bed without another word being spoken. A lamp on the bedside table cast a dim glow across the ancient-looking quilt. Turning to face him, Will slid her hands up his abs, over his chest, then draped them around his neck. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek and she leaned into the touch.
“Thank you for letting me come over,” he said, his voice soft, reverent.
“Thank you for making me feel special.” Will stared into his eyes as if willing him to read her thoughts. To understand the silent message in her words.
“You are special, gypsy. Don’t ever forget that.”
A heartbeat later she was pulling him down, rising on tiptoe and kissing him as if their lives depended upon the connection. His hands slid under the shirt, wrapping around her back, soaking in the heat of her skin. Her lips and tongue were setting him on fire, demanding more with every breath.
Hands fisted in his hair, she edged them onto the bed, then grabbed the back of his shirt and struggled to pull it off. Randy broke the kiss long enough to give her what she wanted, then took a bit for himself, tossing her shirt away before taking her mouth again. There was no bra to remove, only tiny, pert breasts pressed against his chest.
When he dropped his hands to her bottom, she arched against him, revealing she was as ready as he was.
“Will,” he said against her lips, using all his strength to rein himself in. “We need to slow down.”
“No, we don’t,” she said, reaching for the button on his jeans. “We need to go faster.”
Randy rocked back on his heels. “We’re not teenagers having to hurry before your parents get home.” He took her hands. “Let me do this right.”
Planting her hands on his cheeks, she said, “You’re doing this right. Last night was better than right. Three years, remember? You’re killing me here.”
He kissed each palm, then wrapped his arms around her. Spotting a silk sleeping mask hanging on the bedpost above the lamp, Randy got an idea.
“Trust me?” he asked, caressing her back and hips.
Impatient blue eyes narrowed. “I’m half naked with you on my bed. Odd time to ask that, don’t you think?”
Leaning in for a kiss, Randy reached past Will, snagging the mask in his right hand. When he pulled back again, Will huffed.
“Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
“Not yet,” he said. “But I’m about to. Lie down, Willow.”
“I—” she started, but he stopped her with a look. Randy kept his hands crossed behind his back. “Fine. I’ll lie down. But you’re killing the mood here.”
Once she was on her back, her body tense with irritation, Randy dangled the mask above her nose. “Put this on.”
“What?” Will said, lifting off the pillow.
“Please,” he said, the word laced with patience. “Trust me.”
“You’re not going to try feeding me weird things, are you?”
Randy chuckled. “You’ve seen too many movies. No food. Nothing but you and me and this mask.”
She still hesitated.
“I will never hurt you, Will.” Rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip, he held her gaze. “Ever.”
Will reached for the mask and slid the band over her head.
CHAPTER 20
As everything went dark, Will’s other senses heightened. She could feel the cool air drift across her bare chest. Hear the crickets chirping outside the window. She could even smell the shaving cream Randy must have used before he’d come over. That was nice of him, to spare her the beard burn.
The bed sagged to her right, followed by a weight pressed against her side.
“What are you doing?” she asked, already impatient and anxious. He’d gotten her to put the mask on, which she planned to rip off if this got too weird. The least he could do was move things along.
Randy kissed her shoulder. A chaste kiss, as if she weren’t lying here half naked and blindfolded. “I’m looking at you.”
She pulled her arms in to cover herself, but Randy stopped her with a gentle touch on her elbow. “You’re beautiful, gypsy. Don’t cover that up.”
She didn’t feel beautiful. She felt exposed and vulnerable. But she also felt anticipation and arousal. The fact that he saw her body as beautiful was enough to earn her cooperation.
Will decided to focus on Randy’s breathing. To gain a sense of where he was, and what he might do next. Surely he planned to touch her eventually. His breathing was steady, unrushed. When was he going to do something?
And then he did something.
One finger trailed along her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. With total certainty, Will knew she was not going to survive this. At least not for long. Then that finger trailed down her side, over the sensitized flesh of her right breast, and along her ribs. She didn’t need her sight to know goose bumps were rising along her skin. It was as if she’d become one giant nerve ending.
One finger became two, trailing across her belly and up the other side. The moment his palm brushed her left nipple Will nearly latched onto his neck, but she remained as still as possible. Which was taking a herculean effort. The weight by her side shifted again, lifting away until she felt the bed sag along her other hip. She focused again on Randy’s breathing.
Slightly quicker now, and from above instead of by her side. At least she wasn’t the only one being affected by this slow torture.
And then the bed moved again and his weight disappeared completely.
“Where are you going?” she asked, using all her willpower not to remove the mask.
“I’m taking off my pants.”
Will wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Oh,” she said, possibly the lamest response ever. “That’s good.”
/> “I thought it was only fair considering what I intend to do next.”
Was that a clue? He was taking off his pants because…
And she had her answer. A firm hand slid beneath the waistband of Will’s yoga pants. He moved with slow deliberation, trailing across her hairline, then sliding toward her hip. Instead of pulling down from both sides, the hand retreated.
Had she called this torture? Was there a word worse than torture? Because this was worse. Much worse.
“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” she whispered, her voice sounding distant in her own ears thanks to the blood pounding through her head.
“You need to be patient. We’ve barely started.”
Easy for him to say. He wasn’t lying here at the mercy of someone else.
He joined her on the bed again, most of his weight low on the mattress. As if—
“Oh, God,” she said as he kissed her. There. Over the thin material that suddenly felt like thick wool against her burning skin. Will had never been one to call on any deity during sex, but this was an extreme circumstance.
The next kiss was above the waistband, but not by much. Moist breath teased her skin as his tongue licked the fire threatening to burn her from the inside. Determined to see this through, and certain the patience for which he asked would be justly rewarded, Will grabbed two handfuls of quilt and bit her bottom lip.
Both of his hands were on her now, easing the black pants down. Dropping kisses on every inch of newly revealed skin. He blew on her clit and she clenched the blanket tighter.
Once the pants were gone, Randy kissed the bottom of her foot, then her ankle. Next was the inside of her knee. The inside of her thigh. And again below her naval. Powerful legs straddled one of hers, pressing a knee firmly between her thighs. She couldn’t help but press down, fighting the need to take charge and make demands.
Big hands slid up her torso and finally touched her breasts. He gave them gentle attention, then pinched each one just enough to send a bolt of heat to her core. Will whimpered. She could do this, but his time would come. He would see she could give as good as she got.
