by Terri Osburn
His mouth took one nipple, suckling and biting in turns, while he kept the other busy with his talented fingers. Will dropped the quilt to touch the man who was driving her crazy. A sheen of perspiration covered his skin, and his movements were quicker, more demanding, as if he were fighting his own struggle to keep things slow.
“I need you, Randy. Please.” She would not make demands, but she was willing to beg.
In response, he nudged her legs open wider, sliding a hand between her body and his knee. One finger drove in hard and Will half screamed, half growled Randy’s name. Wet and ready, she pulled his head up until their lips met in a rush of longing and need. Her hands slid over his slick back, pressing him closer.
He withdrew his hand to rub circles over her clit. Will’s hips lifted off the bed as the orgasm scorched her body. Sensations toppled one over the next, her limbs tense, then limp. And as the wave began to crest, Randy entered her in one deep plunge, sending her back into the storm.
He was as lost as she was now. Setting a driving pace that took Will’s breath, her ability to think or speak. Raw animal instinct took over, and she held on with all she had, knowing the next wave would take them both. When it did, a guttural moan echoed around the room. Will clung to the man buried inside her, one thought filling her mind.
She never wanted to let go.
Randy remained as still as possible as air pumped in and out of his lungs. That was a good sign. At least he was still breathing. There was no bright light coming toward him. Another good sign that he hadn’t died. Though he had just gone to heaven.
A cheesy thought, but he was too sated to care at the moment.
He opened his eyes to find Will peeking at him from under the mask, a goofy smile on her face. “You alright there, stud?”
Laughter shook his body. “I’m better than alright. How about you?” he asked, giving into the temptation and taking her mouth in a leisurely kiss. He was still inside her and growing hard already. Not a bad recovery time for a guy his age, though he’d never last as long a second time.
Will pulled the mask off and held it above their heads. “I could learn to love this little thing. Is that a frequent party trick of yours?”
She gave him way too much credit. “First time.”
Her arms dropped to the bed as her mouth fell open. “You lie.”
“Scout’s honor. I’d do the salute thing, but I can’t move my arms yet.”
This time it was her laughter that made him shake. “I’m feeling a bit numb myself. Though I see something else isn’t having any trouble lifting.” Long nails traced his rib cage, sending him squirming to the side. Will leaned up on one elbow. “Oh my gosh. Tell me you are not ticklish.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you.” Randy hurried off the other side of the bed before she could attack his weakness. “Is the bathroom around here somewhere?” He needed to dispose of the condom he’d managed to slip on after taking off his pants.
“Five feet to your left,” Will said, sitting up on the bed. “That’s another perk of wearing a mask. Once you take it off, it’s as if you have night vision.”
Randy did his business with little fuss, then joined Will back in the bedroom. She’d pulled the covers down and crawled beneath the sheet. “Got room in there for one more?”
“I’m not used to sharing, but I’ll make an exception for you.” She threw the covers back and patted the pillow next to hers. “Come on in.”
As he lowered onto the bed, Will laid her head on his chest, drawing invisible circles around one of his nipples. The blanket would look like a pup tent if she kept that up.
He considered asking her about the lack of personal items in the place, but the timing didn’t feel right. Truth be told, he didn’t feel like talking at all. Randy would be content to hold Will in silence for the rest of the night. Or longer.
“I’m tempted to ask what you’re thinking, but I hate when people do that.” Will abandoned his nipple to twirl a finger in his chest hair. “But you’re so rarely quiet, I can’t help but be curious.”
Should he tell her he was having long-term thoughts that involved the two of them spending lots of time in this exact position? Something told him the timing wasn’t right for that either.
“I’m thinking about how hot it was to realize you didn’t bother with panties after your shower.”
She threw a leg over his, pressing against his hip. “No sense in wasting a clean pair of underwear when they were going to come right back off.”
Sometimes her honesty took his breath away. “Have I told you lately how much I like you?” he asked, before pressing a kiss into her hair.
“No,” she said, lifting her head to look into his eyes. “But you’ve shown me, and that’s even better.”
“I’ll happily show you anytime.”
Will leaned up high enough to kiss his chest. “I think it’s time for me to do a little showing in return.” As she spoke, Will scooted down his body, disappearing under the blanket. When she glanced up from the vicinity of his naval, the smile on her face set his temperature soaring.
“If you really want to,” he said, his mouth too dry to say anything more. When she gripped him at the base, his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. When she kissed the tip, he grabbed the cast-iron headboard.
When she took him to the hilt, he saw God.
Will expected Randy to leave in the middle of the night, as she had the night before. But when she brought it up, the man had been ready with an answer on every front. He’d parked under the house, so no one passing by would know he was there. And no one would miss him at home, since he’d fed the boys before coming to her house.
Then there’d been the promise of morning sex. A promise he’d diligently kept. Twice.
If the man hadn’t possessed an innate ability to make her feel cherished and safe simply by smiling at her, or holding her hand, she might have caved. If she’d been in her right mind, she’d have shoved him out the door. Sleeping together, meaning actually sleeping, and then waking to his charming face only made matters worse.
She could place the blame on that damn mask. Still shocked that she’d even agreed to wear it, Will knew that if it had been any other man, there would have been no deal. Not even a moment’s consideration. Putting on that mask required total trust. Will didn’t trust anyone. Couldn’t afford to. It was as if Randy had slipped beneath all of her defenses when she wasn’t looking. Taken her by surprise and done more than offer her some long-overdue sex.
He had her thinking long term. Mentally searching for ideas of how she could stay on Anchor forever. Make the past a nonissue. Defuse the threat that had hounded her for three years.
But there was no use, and she knew it. Jeffrey wasn’t going away. He’d get close, and she’d have to run again. It had happened too many times for her to think anything would change. And she had no more power against him now than she ever had. The remote anonymity of Anchor provided better protection, but her luck was bound to run out eventually.
Besides, she was damaged goods. Randy would want a family. That’s something she could never give him. He deserved more than Will could ever be, and that meant reinforcing the boundaries on their relationship. Which she would do, as soon as Randy finished his shower.
“I’ve got it all figured out,” Sid yelled as she stormed through Will’s front door.
Oh, shit.
Will stood frozen in the kitchen, coffee mug halfway to her lips. “What are you doing here?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t reveal the panic screaming through her brain.
“The shower and bachelorette party thing. I’ve got it all planned.”
“But it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since you agreed to handle it.”
And why the hell hadn’t she locked that front door last night, Will thought. Because you were too busy having crazy hot blindfold sex with your best friend’s brother, dipshit.
Sid waved her words away. “I work fast. Or rather, Opal does.”
“Opal?” Will asked, trying to determine if the shower was still running.
By all that is holy, please do not let him walk out here.
If Will’s concern showed on her face, Sid didn’t notice. “We’re having the shower up at Lola’s place. Everyone gets to make some wedding-related piece of jewelry to take home, and Opal is going to provide the food. Lots of cake and pie, so Beth should have plenty to eat.”
Will stepped around the edge of the counter, moving closer to the bedroom door. She was only half listening to Sid. “Sounds good.” Nothing but silence came from the bedroom. Maybe Randy would hear his sister’s voice and remain in hiding until she left.
“Hey!” Sid said, gaining Will’s full attention. “Did you get that shirt from Randy?”
Crap on a cracker. Will had forgotten she was wearing Randy’s T-shirt.
“I—” she started, unsure how to answer.
“The least he could do is give you one in the right size. Geez. That thing is floating on you.”
Thank the stars Sid could be dense as a day-old doughnut.
“You’re right,” Will said, setting her mug on the counter and ushering Sid toward the door. “I’ll make him give me another one in a smaller size.”
“Why are you pushing me?” Sid asked, standing her ground. How could such a tiny woman be so strong? “I haven’t even told you about the bachelorette party yet.”
“How about you come by Dempsey’s tonight? I need to get in the shower.” Fishing for some imaginary appointment, Will said, “I’m helping out at the real estate office today. Season’s almost here.” She threw her hands around her head like a lunatic. “Phones are ringing off the hook.”
“Your water pressure is better than I expected,” Randy said, walking out of the bedroom with a white towel hanging low on his hips, using another to dry his hair. He had yet to look up and see that they had company.
Will looked from her lover to his sister. From surprised brown eyes to an identical pair reflecting shock and hurt. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Sid, I can explain,” she said, unable to stop the most clichéd and overused phrase in the English language. How was she going to explain why Randy was naked in her house first thing in the morning after she’d adamantly argued that they were no more than friends and never would be anything but friends?
How could she explain that she had lied?
“I’m not an idiot,” Sid murmured. “At least not anymore. Sorry I interrupted.” Without another glance, she practically ran to the door.
Randy yelled, “Sid!” but she didn’t stop.
Ripping the towel out of Randy’s hand, Will wrapped it around her waist and ran after her friend, reaching the door as Sid slammed it behind her. Yanking it open, she charged onto the small porch.
“Sid, please wait. You can’t leave like this.”
“I can do whatever the fuck I want. You sure as hell have.” The dark-haired pixie climbed into the jacked-up truck and tried to slam the door, but Will threw her body between it and the cab.
“Damn it, would you listen to me?” Will smacked Sid’s hand away when she reached for the handle. “You are so stubborn sometimes.”
“I’m stubborn?” Sid yelled. “You preached at me that you were not going to get involved with my brother. That you would only ever be friends and nothing more could ever happen. And then you turn around and start fucking him and I’m the one being called stubborn? At least I’m not fucking bipolar.”
She deserved that, and Will knew it. She’d turned this entire thing into a giant cluster and hurt the first person who ever made her feel like she belonged on this island. A person she really cared about.
Taking a deep breath, Will met Sid’s angry glare. “You’re right. And you have every right to be mad and hurt. I’m sorry.”
Sid didn’t answer, only stared out the windshield. “Get away from my truck, Will. Now.”
Honoring the request, Will stepped away from the door, feeling for the first time the jagged rocks that were cutting into her bare feet. Holding the towel around her waist with one hand, she stepped slowly to the front of the pickup, giving Sid room to leave.
Will didn’t move for a full minute after Sid’s truck had disappeared into the distance. Staring at the cloud of dust, she wondered how she ever was going to fix this.
CHAPTER 21
By the time Will stepped back into the house, Randy had slipped on his jeans. He couldn’t put his shirt on since Will was wearing it. He’d considered going out to settle Sid down, but her truck had been long gone before he’d been decent enough to walk outside.
“You okay?” he asked Will as she dropped onto the ottoman, eyes unfocused.
She shook her head from side to side.
“You want to tell me what I’m missing here?” he asked, squatting down in front of her. “Why is my sister acting as if she caught us burying a body?”
“More like burying our friendship.” Meeting his eyes, she added, “Hers and mine. I’d told her in no uncertain terms that you and I would never be anything more than friends. She’s so lovesick with Lucas that now she’s determined to see you in the same condition. I didn’t want her thinking that would happen between us.”
Randy took several seconds to process the explanation. If Sid had been pushing her about getting involved with her brother, then it was no wonder Will had been so determined to establish the boundaries going in. But he could also see his sister balking at what she would consider being lied to by her friend.
Taking Will’s hand, Randy moved to the couch and maneuvered her onto his lap. “We have a bit of a mess here, but nothing that can’t be straightened out.”
Will shook her head again. “She won’t forgive me. Not when I was so hateful about the idea of you and me dating or becoming a couple. Think about what we’re doing,” she said, turning toward him. “How do I say, ‘Your brother is having sex with me because I haven’t gotten any in three years?’ I might as well say, ‘I’m using your brother for sex and standing in the way of him finding the woman he deserves.’”
“Let’s clear one thing up right away. I’m not having sex with you because you need it. I’m having sex with you because I want to, and that would be true whether you went without it for three years or three weeks.”
“But we—”
“Still my turn,” Randy said, cutting her off. “I wasn’t looking for a wife before we started this, and I’m not going to revert to some wife hunt if you get out of the way. Right now, right this minute, I want to be with you. Clothes on or clothes off. I wasn’t gung ho about this secrecy thing, but you made a good argument so I went along. But regardless, what we do is no one else’s business, including my sister’s. You said you told her we were becoming friends, right?”
“Yes,” Will said.
“And we are friends, aren’t we?”
“To say the least.”
He planted a quick kiss on Will’s lips. “Then give me my shirt so I can go talk some sense into my pain-in-the-ass little sister.” Before she could get up, Randy took her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “One more thing. I never again want to hear that you’re not the woman I deserve. Any man would be lucky to have you in his life. Right now, I’m that man, and that makes me the luckiest bastard around. Are we clear on that?”
“If you knew—”
He laid one finger against her lips. “There’s nothing that could change my mind, gypsy. Are we clear?”
In her charmingly honest way, Will said, “You scare me when you talk like that. I can’t help but want to believe you.”
“Good,” he said, rising off the couch and taking her with him. “Then we’ve made more progress than I thought.”
Randy tried Lucas’s law office first. Since she’d popped into Will’s around nine in the morning, he knew Sid hadn’t been on a charter with Joe. If she were mad or hurt, she’d go to Lucas first. And he’d been right, except she’d cut out before he got there
.
Lucas was a bit confused as to what was going on, and Randy couldn’t blame him. This snafu was clearly a product of how the female brain worked, which would make untangling the mess that much more complicated, but Randy was determined to do it. Though she hadn’t told Lucas where she was going when she left, both men agreed that Sid would be found sitting on the pier behind her house.
And that’s where Randy found her, pouting and telling her side of the story to the seagulls flapping around, waiting for the chance at a quick snack.
“Mind if I sit down?” he asked, stopping beside the woman he’d do anything for.
“Go away,” Sid muttered, refusing to look his way.
Randy sat down. “So you’re mad at me, too?”
“No,” she said. “But I know you’re here to defend her, and I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Good, then listen. Remember that day when I told you I’d seen Lucas’s car in your driveway early in the morning? Do you remember what you said to me?”
Sid remained silent.
“I’ll take that as a yes. What you and Lucas did that night was none of my business, and other than wanting to make sure you knew what you were doing, I didn’t interfere.”
“You threatened to kick his ass.”
“And I still will if he ever hurts you. That’s my prerogative as your big brother.”
She finally turned to face him. “Do you know what you’re doing, Randy? Do you know that Will has said over and over again that she wants nothing to do with you?”
He kept his voice level. “She told you the two of us were becoming friends, didn’t she?”
“Friends,” Sid emphasized. “Not fuck buddies.”
“So that’s only okay for you?”
Red crept up Sid’s neck and he could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. “That was different and you know it. I’d known Lucas for half my life.”
“And you’d loved him for half your life,” Randy added. “Which means you had a lot more to lose than I do.”
“I didn’t lose.” Sid crossed her arms, staring out over the water. “She doesn’t plan on staying here, Randy. She told me that last year.” Slapping her palms on the pier, she threw her head his way. “What do you think of that?”
