by Barbara Gee
Kelly curled contentedly against him, loving how big he was and the feel of his hard muscles beneath the soft cotton tee shirt. Her ear was against his chest and she could hear his heart beating, steady and strong.
“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” Kelly said, pressing her face into his neck and inhaling his fresh scent. “I hope it’s okay with you that we’re going over to my parents’ tomorrow. It will be good for them to be able to get to know you a little bit before James and I leave for the summer. It’s hard for them because they’ve never met any of the people their beloved grandson will be spending so much time with.”
“Not to mention their beloved daughter, who will be spending a considerable amount of time with me, if I have my way. I hope they’ll feel better after meeting me, and not worse.”
Kelly lifted her head and smiled at him. “I have no doubt you’ll charm them, just as you do everyone. You had me under your spell in no time.”
“Mmmmm, I’m thinking it was the other way around,” Will said, leaning down to glide his lips along the curve of her neck and shoulder.
Kelly threaded her fingers through his hair, her heart rate increasing as his mouth moved against her skin.
“This is a lot better than phone calls,” he murmured.
“So much better,” Kelly agreed breathlessly.
He raised his head and his cerulean eyes met hers.
“I want us to be an official couple, Kelly. I’m more than ready to commit to that. I haven’t even looked at another woman since I met you. As far as I’m concerned, I’m off the market and happy about it. I want to tell James that we’re together, and I want you to introduce me to your parents and friends as your boyfriend, not just a friend.”
He kissed her gently once, then again. “Please tell me you want that too.”
“I want that too,” she said readily, her cheeks flushed and her green eyes sparkling happily. “I’m no longer even aware that other men exist.”
He smiled. “Good to know we’re on the same page. What about James—is he going to be okay with it?”
“I think he’ll be fine. Probably more than fine, since he thinks you’re the greatest cowboy on earth. My guess is the first time he sees us hold hands or hug he’ll come right out and ask about it. I’ll tell him you’re my, uh, boyfriend, just like Tyler is Jordan’s boyfriend.”
Kelly grimaced a little. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a boyfriend. It sounds so weird at my age, but I don’t know what else to call it.”
“Doesn’t matter what we call it. You’re mine and I’m yours, and I’m glad to have that settled.”
Kelly reluctantly slid off his lap and stood, holding her hands out to help pull him up.
“And now that we’ve settled it, I need to let you go to bed. My guess is you got up so early because you had to spend a few hours with your horses before leaving for the airport. Am I right?”
“You are.” Will took her hands and stood, towering over her even though he was only in socks. “But having three days with you and James is going to be well worth the long day.”
“Come on. I’m going to get you a blanket, just in case it gets a little chilly in your room.”
Will went to his room and turned down the bed. Kelly found a soft, fluffy blanket and spread it over the light cover she’d already put on the bed.
“Anything else you need?” she asked, smiling when he covered a yawn.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, put his hands on her waist and pulled her to stand between his legs.
“Yeah, I need a goodnight kiss from my official girlfriend.”
Kelly took his face between her hands and looked at him sternly. “One kiss, and then it’s lights out, got it?” she said in her best mom voice.
“Yes ma’am.”
When she leaned down and pressed her mouth to his, Will grasped the back of her head to keep her from ending the kiss too soon. He parted her lips and swept his tongue inside, making Kelly feel she was about to combust.
She finally broke away, her heart pounding. Pressing two fingers against his lips she looked deep into his eyes, her own a dark, stormy green.
“I can’t even describe how you make me feel, Will Connor. I was with Jamie for seven years, and happily married for four of them, but it was never like this. And I feel kind of awful about saying that.”
“Don’t. What you had with Jamie was obviously great and you were both very happy. Nothing about us changes that.”
She nodded slowly. “I know you’re right. It’s just that I didn’t even know it could be like this.”
He grinned. “Glad to know I’ve got good chemistry with my little chemistry teacher.”
Kelly chewed on her bottom lip. “I have to ask this, Will, and I want you to give me an honest answer, not just one you think will make me feel good.”
“I’ll always be honest with you, Kelly.”
She nodded again and cupped his face, running her thumbs across his defined cheek bones, then sliding her hands down over his jaw to his neck.
“Is it different for you? With me, I mean? Or is this just how it always is when you’re with a woman?” She dropped her eyes, embarrassed by her question but genuinely curious. He had had far more experience with this than she did, and maybe the strong physical attraction which she found so earth shattering was the norm for him. He slid one arm around her waist, his other hand moving up under her hair to her nape.
“I thought I’ve made it clear that everything is different with you, Kelly. It’s why I basically begged you to come back to Texas. You’re on my mind all the time. My desire for you physically is unlike anything I’ve ever felt, and that’s my honest answer. And while I want you more than any woman I’ve known, I also feel protective of you, and of our relationship. I don’t want to do anything we’ll regret, anything that might jeopardize what we could have in the future. That’s what gives me the strength to back off when every molecule in my body is screaming at me to make love to you. Maybe that’s being a little more blunt than you expected, but you asked me to be honest, so there it is.”
Kelly blinked back tears and gave him a shaky smile.
“I feel that from you. The protectiveness. It’s nice. I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve this chance with you, Will, but I’m so thankful we met.”
He smiled. “Me too.”
She gave him a short, hard kiss and then stood up. “I need to let you get some sleep. Good night, Cowboy.”
“Night, baby. Wake me up if I sleep too late tomorrow.”
“Will do. I hope you sleep well.”
Chapter 21
Will awoke to the always welcome smell of bacon. The futon was surprisingly comfortable, if a little short, and he had slept soundly. A glance at his phone told him it was 8:00, which was a few hours later than he usually slept. It felt good.
He got up and stretched, unable to stop smiling. Knowing that Kelly and James were just on the other side of his bedroom door made this a great morning. He put on the sweats and tee shirt he’d discarded before getting into bed, then slipped into the bathroom and brushed his teeth and splashed some cold water on his face to help him wake up before heading to the kitchen.
Kelly was at the stove, a knock-out in form fitting blue jeans and a long sleeved white tee shirt. James sat on a bar stool at the counter, playing some kind of game on an iPad and chattering about taking Will to his beloved Pops’ house and showing him the go-kart he got to drive whenever he visited.
“Morning, guys,” Will said, earning two big smiles as they turned around and saw him.
“Hey, Will. Mom’s making omelets. I’m having cheese and bacon. What do you want in yours?”
“Cheese and bacon sounds great,” Will said, ruffling the little boy’s already messy hair.
“I have onions, peppers and tomatoes, too, if you want,” Kelly told him as she turned back to the stove.
“You can throw some peppers in,” Will told her, walking up behind her
. “Need any help?”
“You can make some toast. The bread is in that middle drawer,” she said, pointing with her spatula. “Butter and jelly are in the door of the fridge.”
“Wanna watch me drive the go-kart at Gran and Pops’s house today, Will? I can go real fast, but only on the straight part of the driveway.”
“Sure, I’d love to watch you.”
“Get your plate, James. Your omelet is ready,” Kelly said. He eagerly hopped off his stool and brought a plate over to the stove.
“Do I gotta wait for you guys or can I eat it now? Cuz I’m starving.”
“You can go ahead, but thanks for asking,” Kelly said, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on the top of his head.
“Do you want one piece of toast, or two?” Will asked.
“One, with lots of jelly.”
Will delivered the toast as ordered while Kelly started the next omelet. Will sat down at the table across from James and asked what they were going to do until it was time to go to the grandparent’s for lunch.
“Mom said you might want to go to the park. It’s pretty close and we can walk there. We can play soccer or throw my football.”
“That sounds fun, let’s go with football. Soccer only made it to Tallock County a few years ago, so I’ve never played. But I played football from the time I was your age all the way through high school.”
“Were you real good at it?” James asked eagerly.
“Not bad.”
Kelly put a steaming omelet in front of him and he got up to make another batch of toast.
“Let me guess,” Kelly said, smiling over her shoulder at him as she started the last omelet. “You played quarterback and led your team to the state tournament your junior and senior year, winning the championship your senior year.”
“How’d you know that?”
“My crazy friends googled you. By the time I got home from Texas, they knew more about you than I did.”
“That’s a little creepy,” Will stated. “I’ve never googled you. Maybe we can do it together.”
“Ugh. Let’s not. I’ve never even googled myself. It’s seems way too egotistical.”
“I agree,” Will said as the toast popped up. “You want jelly?”
“Yeah, thanks, but not as much as James.”
Kelly carried her plate to the table. James was almost finished with his omelet, but Will had waited for her.
“Where’s my football, Mom?”
“Well, if it’s where it’s supposed to be, in the hall closet.”
James ate his last bite and then hopped down off his chair and ran to look.
“Got it,” he said, returning to the kitchen and holding up a blue foam football.
Will grimaced. “Aw man, that’s not a real football. You’re six, buddy, that’s plenty old enough for a real pigskin. How about we find a store before we go to the park and I’ll help you pick one out.”
“Can we, Mom?” James asked hopefully.
“Sure. There’s a sporting goods store a few miles from here.”
“It’s huge. I love going there,” James said. “But why do you call footballs pigskins?”
Will explained that professional footballs were actually made of that very thing, but since they needed a youth sized ball, they would settle for one that just looked like the real thing.
“You won’t even be able to tell the difference,” Will assured the boy. “And it’ll be a lot better than your foam ball.”
“Okay, I’m gonna go find my shoes.”
Will turned to Kelly apologetically. “Sorry, I should have asked you before offering to get him a different ball.”
She smiled. “It’s okay. I’m glad to have someone who can help him get a real football. It’s good for him to be around you, Will.”
“I hope so,” he said. “This omelet is great, by the way. Is there anything you’re not good at?”
“Hmmmm. Nothing I’m going to tell you about, although I’m afraid you might find out one of them fairly soon.”
He raised one arched brow. “Oh yeah?”
She laughed. “It might have something to do with football. And throwing.”
“Ah, you throw like a girl,” he guessed, grinning as he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Maybe. But I’m pretty good at soccer, so don’t get smug.”
Will caught her hand as she got up to walk past him, pressing it to his lips.
“I’m smug all right, but it’s because I’m going to the park with the prettiest girl in town.”
And just like that, he made Kelly feel like the luckiest girl in town.
After a long, fun, busy day, James went off to bed without protest. Kelly checked on him ten minutes after turning his light out, and saw he was sleeping soundly. She smiled, happy that her little boy had had such a good day.
Will was sprawled on the couch, looking almost as worn out as James.
“James is asleep already. And it looks like you’re ready for bed yourself,” Kelly said.
“Not quite, but that boy of yours kept me hopping all day.”
“How many times do you think you threw that new football?”
He grinned. “A couple thousand?”
“You should have never offered to teach him to throw a spiral. And I should have warned you that when he makes up his mind to do something, he doesn’t want to stop until he’s mastered it.”
“And master it he did. I think you’ve got a future quarterback on your hands.”
Kelly enjoyed the obvious pride in Will’s voice.
“You’re so good with him. And so patient. Thank you for spending so much time with him today.”
Will stood up, his movements smooth and graceful, indicative of the athlete he was. It was a trait which he had demonstrated very aptly in the park as he worked on James’ throwing skills. Kelly had been mesmerized, watching him run after the ball and throw with remarkable precision at the tire swing they had chosen as their target. Before today she’d never seen him in anything other than cowboy boots, but she now knew he was pretty darn attractive in sweats and sneakers as well.
“Let’s make coffee and eat some of those cookies your mom sent home with us,” he suggested.
Kelly ground some fresh coffee beans while Will perched on a stool and leaned on the counter, watching her. She pushed the button to start the coffee and turned toward him, noticing he was rubbing his right shoulder.
“You okay? Too much throwing?”
“I’m fine. I really like your parents, by the way. They made me feel welcome even though I’m part of the reason their daughter and grandson are getting out of Dodge for the summer.”
“They like you a lot, Will. I knew they would.”
Kelly moved behind him and began massaging his shoulders. She started lightly, her fingertips moving over all the various muscles to find the tense spots and knots, just like Jamie had taught her to do when he was in PT school. She’d always told him he had magic hands and she wanted to reciprocate, so he had taught her how to give the best back massages. Will was the first person other than Jamie that she had ever tried her skills on.
As she identified Will’s problem areas, she dug her thumbs into just the right spots, gradually working the muscles into submission. Will groaned in appreciation.
“Good Lord, Kelly, where did you learn to do that,” he mumbled, “Feels so good.”
“Jamie taught me. Just relax—lay your head down on your arms so your muscles aren’t fighting me.”
Will instantly did as she asked, as if he was afraid she’d stop if he didn’t comply soon enough.
Kelly enjoyed the massage every bit as much as he did. His back was broad and incredibly well muscled. Ranch work wasn’t for wimps, that was for sure. Ideally she would have him take off his shirt and she’d use oil to better feel the muscles sliding beneath her fingers, but she was afraid touching his bare, oiled skin would be a little more than she could handle.
By th
e time the coffee was finished, she had worked out the kinks pretty well. She patted his back and ruffled the wavy blonde hair at his nape.
“Better?” she asked.
He slowly sat up straight and swiveled his stool toward her. His eyes were heavy lidded, dark blue and smoldering.
“That was one of the best things I’ve ever felt.”
He reached for her waist and pulled her closer. “You’re full of surprises, Kelly Matherson, and all of them are good. How did I get so lucky?”
“That’s my line,” she said softly. “I’ve been asking myself that all day.”
He gave her a slow smile and her heart skipped a beat. Surely a more gorgeous man had never existed, and at the moment he had eyes only for her. It was an amazing thing. She reached out and slid her fingers into his hair, needing to touch him to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“Coffee’s ready,” she said softly as she ran her fingertips down along his stubble roughened jaw.
He took one of her hands and pressed her fingers to his lips.
“It smells great,” he said.
They carried their cups and a plate of cookies into the living room and put them on the coffee table. Kelly suggested they watch a movie, so they scrolled through the options on pay per view and agreed on one fairly quickly. She snuggled up against him, sipping her coffee and eating two cookies to his five.
The movie was decent, but Kelly was far too aware of Will to give it her full attention. When she put her empty mug on the table, he took the opportunity to pull her into his lap.
He nuzzled her neck, his breath warm on her skin. As always, Kelly immediately felt like she was ready to combust at his touch.
“It was good for me to come here, Kelly,” he murmured. “You have a great home and I can tell you love your community. And your parents live close, you love your job, and you have good friends.”
He raised his head and looked at her intently. “At the risk of moving too fast, I need to ask you........if things keep progressing between us, and I hope and pray they do, where do you see us settling?”
