"Hi," Will gazed at her warmly, drinking her in, as he closed the door behind him. "There was something I wanted to do first before we go." Before she could ask him what it was, he took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly, sweetly. Clarise let out a little sigh and put her arms around his neck, kissing him back. Will held her tight against him and within seconds, the nature of the kiss changed. All of a sudden he was kissing her like he hadn't seen her for months instead of mere hours.
Oh, Will. Clarise was all feelings as Will ravished her mouth. Her body heated and she felt desire unfurl within her. Within moments, she was as hungry for him as he was for her and was returning his kiss with equal fervour.
Her response spurred Will on. He roamed his hands on her back feverishly as he trailed hot kisses on her jaw, her chin, her neck and back to her face. Clarise couldn't help but press her body against his.
"Oh, baby," he croaked, "I only meant to kiss you. Now I can't stop. I want you. Now." His hands went to her thighs under her dress and moved up higher to kneed her buttocks as he pressed his erection against her belly.
"Oh, really? Now?" Clarise purred teasingly, emboldened by desire and revelling in Will's reaction to her.
"Yes, really. Can't you tell?" he murmured as he kissed her neck.
"Hhmm. Maybe I need more proof."
Will gave a low throaty laugh and lifted her so her legs wrapped around his waist. Clarise hung on to him as he carried her to her bedroom. He put her down on her feet near the bed and proceeded to divest her of her dress. His eyes raked her body. "You're so beautiful, Clarise," he said.
Will trailed kisses on her as he took off her bra, and then her panties, before laying her on the bed. "See I told you I can't stop," he said playfully, voice heavy with desire.
Clarise was breathing hard as she shook her head. "I still don't believe you. You're still fully dressed," she said breathlessly, playing with him.
Will stood up by the side of the bed and with a look of intense desire mixed with humour, he took off his shirt unhurriedly and started to treat Clarise to his version of a hot, masculine strip-tease.
Clarise sat up on the bed, facing Will, as she watched, eyes wide and mouth gaping. She was already panting for him like crazy.
Will unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped it in a hot, sexy way and pulled his pants down together with his boxers. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. Clarise's gaze fixed on his erect member and her eyes opened wider, her mouth dry. Was it that big last Friday night?
"Now do you believe me?" he rasped. Her ardent gaze made his cock jerk involuntarily.
Clarise shook her head again. "Not yet," she whispered and licked her lips.
Will leaned towards her and teased her nipple with his tongue, circling it before tugging it with his lips. Then he moved to its twin to give it the same treatment. Clarise moaned and clutched his hair.
He pushed her back to lie on the bed. Slowly but hungrily, his lips lavished kisses on her face, her breasts, her abdomen, her hips, her thighs. Clarise writhed with need. When he was satisfied he had kissed enough of her beautiful body, he pushed her legs apart and perched himself in between. He flicked his tongue on her swollen clit, making Clarise buck her hips and moan lustily. He stilled her with his arm as he continued his delicious assault, his eyes avidly watching her reaction as his expert mouth and tongue drove her crazy.
Will felt himself grow harder, if that was at all possible. Clarise was so responsive, so wet, so arousing.
She was close to the edge when Will abruptly stopped and got out of the bed. She whimpered. Will smiled at her placatingly.
She watched as he put on a condom, then opened her arms to him as he went back to lay on top of her. Carrying his weight on his elbows and arms on either side of her, he kissed her mouth hungrily as he settled himself between her thighs.
"Will," she moaned his name as she lifted her hips to grind against his, telling him with her body what she wanted. Will groaned.
"What do you want, baby? Tell me," he ordered against her mouth.
"I want you. Now," she responded huskily.
Will smiled. "Looks like you're now as horny as I am. Can't wait, can't stop," he hummed, still playing their little game.
"How can I believe you when you're not inside me yet?" Clarise said imploringly, grinding her hips to his again to make her point.
"Hhmm. You're right," he acknowledged with a guttural sound then filled her with his fully aroused cock.
They moved together with a steady rhythm, eyes locking as they watched each other's face reflect rapture and desire. Then their pleasure built and built and built. Will thrusted into Clarise faster and harder, faster and harder, as they filled the room with their sounds of passion. They rode the crest together until Clarise cried out his name and convulsed and tightened all around him.
At that moment, Will stilled and came hard inside her. "Oh, Clarise, baby", he cried softly.
Will rested on top of Clarise like he did the first time, both of them catching their breaths, sated and satisfied.
A stomach growled and they both laughed.
"Was that yours or mine?" Will asked.
"Mine, I think. I'm starving."
"Me too. It looks like we have to get moving." He gave her a quick kiss, pulled out of her and got up.
~~
They decided to have lunch at one of Clarise's favourite cafes about a couple of blocks from her place. It unsettled Clarise a tad that Will didn't hold her hand as they walked. She thought about the time he put his arm around her shoulders after they had dinner at Stillwaters and realised she instigated that. She wondered if he was just the type of guy who wasn't comfortable with holding hands or showing affection in public.
The place was packed with the Sunday lunchtime crowd but luckily, a couple had just finished their lunch so they didn't have to wait long for a table. Clarise settled for a pasta salad and Will for a teriyaki chicken dish.
"What do you have on this week, work-wise?" Clarise casually asked Will as they enjoyed their food.
"I'll be in Melbourne this week. I'll be interviewing candidates for the management position there and I still have to finalise the lease for the office space I want take over." His mouth pressed into a thin line as he stared afar, as if he remembered something that troubled him.
"Oh." Clarise wondered if he would have told her that if she hadn't asked him. "For how long will you be there?"
"I leave tomorrow afternoon and I'm due back next Sunday afternoon." At Clarise's surprised look, he continued impassively, "there's this guy who I went to school with who's now living in Melbourne. He has his own marketing firm and I'm having dinner with him on Saturday night. Probably Friday night too. He said he was organising for me to meet some new contacts."
"Oh, that'll be good for you." Clarise responded lightly but in reality, his news depressed her. She wouldn't see him at all for one whole week. Would he want to see her next Sunday night when he got back? Clarise waited for Will to suggest it but he was quiet. She got despondent.
They were silent for long moments as they ate their lunch. Clarise wondered where the hotly passionate, attentive and sweet Will of less than an hour ago went.
"How are your parents doing?" Clarise asked him, hoping to have some easy, light conversation with him.
"They're good, thanks."
He lapsed into silence again, appearing distracted. Clarise noticed his far-away look with a frown on his handsome face. He must have his mind on some business issue.
Frustration built within Clarise as the silence stretched. Hello, I'm still here! she wanted to scream. She didn't like his silence when just under an hour ago, they were making passionate love.
Sighing, she decided to ask him about business matters, putting her interviewer's hat on. She wanted him to talk and not shut her out.
Will became conversational as the topic turned to something he was comfortable with. He seemed happy enough to talk about his business.
Once again, Will was surprised at how much he could talk to Clarise about his business. He really enjoyed her intelligent conversation and appreciated the insights she shared with him.
Clarise was also stimulated by their discussion. But she couldn't help but feel disappointed that they weren't talking about more personal things. Well, at least lunch wasn't spent in silence.
~~
On their walk back to her apartment, Will again had his hands in his pockets.
I want you to hold my hand! Clarise got more frustrated at his apparent indifference and wanted to pout like a child. Instead, she slid her hand on the crook of Will's arm. She wasn't going to walk next to him like they were just friends. Hmmph!
Will gave a quick smiling glance at her gesture but didn't take his hands out of his pockets.
"Do you like living around here?" he asked her.
Finally, he starts a conversation! She mentally rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I love it here and it's very convenient." It occurred to Clarise she didn't even know where Will lived.
"Where do you live, Will?"
"Not far from here. In Mosman."
"Oh, yes, not far at all. Do you live alone?"
"Yes," his lips lifting a little, amused at her question.
He didn't say anything about inviting her over sometime to his place. Clarise wondered, with the low mood she found herself in, if she would ever set foot in his home.
She was befuddled. It was hard for her to figure out where she stood with him. Where they stood as a couple.
Clarise continued her interrogation, determined to get to know Will a little bit more outside of sex and his business. "What about your parents? Where do they live?"
"In Roseville."
"Is that where you grew up?"
"I grew up in the Roseville/Chatswood area but not in the house they're living in now. What about you?"
"I was born in San Francisco. We moved here to Sydney when I was seven when my dad was transferred here to head up the IT department of the company he worked for. We lived in Parramatta when we first arrived here. Now mum and dad live in Summer Hill".
Will's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't know you were born in the US. You certainly don't have any trace of American accent. Do you have any other relatives here?"
"No. Just the four of us. Mum, dad, Megan and me. All our other relatives are in the States.
"Do you get to visit them often?"
"Unfortunately, no. The last time I visited was five years ago. What about you? Do you have brothers or sisters?"
He chuckled and she looked up at him. "I remember I started to answer that question and then you distracted me with dessert," he said jokingly with a sensual undertone. Clarise remembered, too, and smiled, feeling slightly mollified that Will seemed to have relaxed again.
"No, I'm an only child," Will continued. "My mum has one sister who lives in Canberra and a brother who lives in Port Stephens. I have five cousins on my mother's side, three are married with kids. We usually have a big family gathering every Christmas time and we alternate with the venue. We had last Christmas in Canberra so later this year it will be at my parents'. As for my dad's side, he was also an only child and only has distant relatives he really doesn't see much of."
Wow, that was the most forthcoming he's been today without me prompting. Maybe it was the memory of our dessert flirtation that brought that out.
They got to Clarise's apartment. When Clarise opened the building door, she expected Will to follow her but he caught her hand to still her.
"I need to go home and prepare for my week in Melbourne," he said softly.
Disappointment coursed through Clarise. It was Sunday and it was only mid-afternoon. "Can't you stay for coffee?" Or at least come up and give me a good kiss? I won't see you for at least a week!
Will gave her an apologetic smile. "I better not. I have to pack and make sure I'm well prepared for my interviews."
She had an irrational urge to stomp her foot like a little child but instead she forced a smile, not wanting him to see her disappointment. "Okay. I hope you have a good trip."
"Thank you. Have a good week." Will gave her a quick kiss and left.
Clarise watched him leave and felt like crying. She rushed to the elevator to go up to her place. Once inside her apartment, she let the tears flow.
~~
Will walked away from Clarise with a resolve born of a deep-seated fear. Although his heart was heavy, he ignored it, focusing instead on the irritation he felt with himself.
The Melbourne branch of his business was due to open in less than four months. The lease wasn't signed, the office refurbishment plans haven't been finalised, he was nowhere near picking a suitable person to manage the office. Apart from that, there was the never-ending marketing and promotional work.
Normally, he would have pulled out all stops to make sure these important things are progressing at an acceptable pace. But this weekend, he let himself slip. He could have worked on the refurbishment plans. He could have phoned his business contacts about the managerial position as they may have someone they could recommend. He could have worked on the marketing plans for Melbourne. He could have done a heck of a lot of work this weekend.
Instead, he spent the bulk of it thinking about Clarise. While he was supposedly working, he was daydreaming about her. This was the most unproductive weekend he'd had for a long time and he wasn't happy with himself. There was still so much to do and time was not on his side.
After their lovemaking earlier today, Will realised just how little control he had on his physical attraction for Clarise. Will didn't like losing control. He had already achieved much success because he exercised discipline. Emotions didn't play a part in his game plan. His tight rein on his emotions was what made him grow and manage his business to where it was now. And it was still a long way to where he wanted it to be.
During lunch, he realised just how much work he didn't get done in the last few days. It shocked him how quickly he slipped behind. He decided during lunch that he would need to cool it down a bit.
He didn't believe he could go cold turkey and just give up Clarise altogether - he admitted to himself he was too attracted to her to do that. But he would need to slow it down, play it down. In his mind it was the only way he would achieve what he had set out to do while still being able to see her.
He didn't like saying 'no' to Clarise. He knew how he disappointed her. But he believed it was better to set the expectations on their relationship early on. They were meant to enjoy each other's company only when their schedules permit. He momentarily forgot his priorities and blamed his incredibly strong physical attraction to her. He needed to fix that.
Will drove home, striving to bring his focus back on the work he needed to do. He was glad he would be away from her for a week. He needed that time to get back his bearings.
He was also glad that Clarise was okay with taking it one date at a time. No expectations. At least, there was nothing for him to feel guilty about.
CHAPTER TEN
Clarise absently plopped another spoonful of chocolate fudge ice cream in her mouth as she spent another night staring unseeingly at the TV. She hardly ate dinner, not feeling like eating something wholesome. She preferred her comfort food and was already on her second cupful.
But she still hadn't been able to shake the sadness she felt since Will went home earlier today. It disturbed her, feeling this way. She wasn't used to being the one who wanted more. In the last seven years she had been the one to hold back, to put someone at an arms length, to be the one to cool things down. But with Will, her life seemed to have turned upside down. Right at that moment, she wanted to call him, to hear his voice. She wanted to be with him tonight.
You're going away for one whole week! Why couldn't I spend the night with you? You're not leaving 'til tomorrow!
She banged her arm that was holding the spoon on the armchair of her couch like a petulant teenager and immediately felt as
hamed of her childish reaction. She wasn't normally like this. But she just felt so frustrated, helpless even, that she didn't know what tomorrow held for them as a couple.
Clarise hated not knowing. She couldn't stand uncertainty. Especially when she wanted something so much. And Will made her feel very uncertain - and scared for her heart.
Her phone rang, making her heart stop. It was just Faye.
"Hi, Faye," she said with fake cheerfulness.
"Hi, Clarise. What are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing. Just watching TV. Why?". What exactly am I watching? She tried to focus on the screen. It was a re-run of 'Bones'.
Will to Love Page 11
