"Didn't sleep well?"
The rose of her cheek turned brick red, and she let out a large, choking cough.
"Whoa, whoa, you okay?" He couldn't stand still while this beautiful woman hacked herself to death, so he moved in closer and patted her on the back. A light floral fragrance clung to her yellow T-shirt, tickling the inside of Will's nose. He so badly wanted to inhale deeper, to suck her in, but resisted the urge.
She finally stopped coughing and took a step back from him. "Sorry about that." Her face returned to its normal color, but she still seemed sapped.
He'd really hoped she would take the lead today, and now he wasn't sure how to proceed. "Umm, why don't we let Tuck outside and work with Rugby alone for a bit?"
She nodded and followed him over to the glass sliding door on the far end of her living room.
"We'll start with something easy. Sit." He flicked his wrist to add a gesture to the command. "Adding a visual cue helps, when—" He stopped cold when Rugby wandered over to them and set his rump flush on the ground.
"Err, okay, beginner's luck. Why don't we try down?" Will held his palm horizontal and motioned toward the ground.
The Rottweiler sighed and shifted from a sitting to a lying position.
Charlie snickered and covered her mouth with both hands.
He squatted down to rub the dog's neck as a reward and turned to look up at Charlie. "Have you—have you been working with him?"
"Maybe a little."
Will's heart sank as he realized she probably didn't need his help anymore, and just when he'd decided it would be okay to get to know her a little better. Well, that was the story of his life—one missed opportunity after the next. This is what he wanted, to be done with her as quickly as possible… Right?
Charlie bent down beside him. "I took your advice."
He shot her a confused expression.
"There was a marathon of The Dog Whisperer on last night."
"Seems like it really helped. He's doing much better today." Will gave Rugby a final pat on the head and stood. "Hey, you might not need another lesson, after all."
Charlie looked uncharacteristically shy as she stumbled over her words. "Well, I wouldn't say we don't need the help anymore. We're still having a really hard time with heel."
"So do you wanna head outside for a walk now?"
She blushed. "Later. First I thought we could have some lunch. It is that time, after all, and I make a mean chicken salad. After all, it’s the least I can do to thank you.”
"Sounds great." Will smiled, glad she wanted him around after what a colossal jerk he'd been on both their previous meetings.
They moved to the kitchen where Charlie poured them both oversized glasses of strawberry lemonade, then moved to dice up some chicken breasts, onions, and celery.
"The secret ingredient is capers," she confessed, pulling a jar full of odd-looking little green balls from the fridge.
"This is really good," Will exclaimed as he sucked down a second glass of lemonade.
"My grandma stayed at home with me and my sister. Sometimes, I think she was so bored out of her mind, she had no choice but to spend the whole day in the kitchen."
Her grandmom, not her mom. He wanted to know what had happened to shake up Charlie's family, but it felt too early to ask such a personal question,
"I wish my mom would've stayed at home when I was little. Instead, she had to commute an hour each day, weekends too."
Charlie squeezed the quarter of a lemon into the mixture and stirred the salad with a wooden spoon. "Oh? What does she do?"
"Torts lawyer. I guess that's a big part of why I became an actuary. I watched as all these stupid and entirely preventable cases came her way, and thought wouldn't it be better to avoid the incident altogether rather than wasting thousands—sometimes millions—of dollars trying to clean up after the fact?"
"Makes sense." She wiped a tear from her eye as she diced the last of the onion. "Kind of funny, if you think about it. You became exactly like your mom, and I've been living my whole life with the express purpose of being nothing like mine—well, like my grandma anyway."
"I wouldn't say I'm exactly like her." Will ran his hands over the granite counter top. "I'm still a guy, after all."
"Uh-huh." Her smirk seemed flirtatious rather than judgmental.
"And what's so wrong with being a homemaker? That's the politically correct term these days, right?"
Charlie shrugged as she scraped a glop of Miracle Whip from the jar and plopped it into the giant mixing bowl. "Nothing's wrong with it for those who choose to live their lives that way. But me? Never." She sighed and returned to mixing the salad, this time more vigorously than before. “Grandma just always seemed so bored, like the greatest thing she could do in life was play second fiddle to me, Mandy, and Grandpa. Who wants to do that? Life is for the living, and I intend to seize every second of mine."
"So you became a teacher not out of any great calling, but because you wanted summers off?" He was being judgmental again—not the best way to make friends, especially with a beautiful woman.
Charlie didn't seem to mind his question. In fact, this topic brought fire to her eyes, and he liked that.
"Summer vacations are a huge perk, but no. I love teaching. Gives me an excuse to share my love of reading with others. And, when I can, I travel. Like this summer, I toured Italy for two weeks, and I also took a mini vacation down to San Francisco. When I ran out of money, I was able to travel through the pages of one great book after the next. It's not such a bad life, you know."
"I didn't say it was bad. It sounds great, actually."
"Yup." She sliced through a loaf of asiago bread.
He didn't want this conversation to end. Charlie was opening up to him rather than trying to ask him questions about his life—the answers to which made him come across incredibly boring.
"Sometimes, I think I might work too much. Like my whole life is about my job."
She turned away from the counter and pointed her bread knife in his direction. "Because you're afraid."
"No, not afraid. A workaholic, maybe, but not afraid."
"You seemed pretty afraid when Rugby and I left the trail yesterday."
"That's different. I was trying to—"
"You were afraid." She set the knife down on the counter and pivoted to face him head on.
He didn't know what to say, but, luckily, Charlie hadn't finished speaking yet.
"There's no point in being afraid of life. When I want something, I make it happen. I don't spend forever agonizing over the pros and cons, trying to convince myself I shouldn't want what I want. I just... do it."
Wait, what's that expression in her eyes? Is she...?
Will didn't have long to figure out the meaning behind her glance, because in an instant Charlie had cleared the gap between them and was leaning over the counter, pressing her lips to his.
His mind raced with a million thoughts, but none of them was "should we be doing this?" Kissing Charlie—or rather allowing her to kiss him—felt so... right.
Without thinking, he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her closer until she was on top of the counter, and he was standing, her breasts pressed into his upper chest as she kissed him from above.
WOOF! WOOF! YIP!
Charlie pulled away and peered past him toward the other side of the house. "The dogs."
Will turned, too, and saw Tuck and Rugby whimpering and scratching at the door.
She hopped off the counter and let the dogs back in, and just like that, the moment ended.
Chapter 5
Normally, she made amazing chicken salad, but today the sandwich tasted bland and unexciting. All Charlie could focus on was the man sitting across the table from her, on how it had been to kiss him, to taste him rather than the disappointing meal before them.
Talking to him about her childhood and her grandma reminded her that she shouldn’t overthink things with Will. True, she didn’t wan
t a relationship, but she also couldn’t deny their attraction. And some of the best moments in her life had sprung from things she didn’t originally want. Maybe Will would be different once they got to know each other better? Maybe he could be fun if only she showed him the way.
"This is delicious," Will said, taking a huge bite of his sandwich.
"Thanks," she said, pushing the Rottweiler's slobbery face from her lap.
She couldn't believe Rugby actually seemed proud of himself for interrupting her special moment with Will. First, the dog restricted her travel, and now her love life, too? At this rate, she might as well have a baby, submit to motherhood—at least babies weren’t as strong as Rottweilers.
Will finished his sandwich and got up to take his plate to the sink.
"So do you wanna catch up on this tomorrow?" he called from the other room.
Half of Charlie's sandwich remained untouched, but she didn't much feel like eating anyway. She reached the kitchen as Will moved to the living room and grabbed Tuck's leash from the hook near the entry way.
What? Why was he leaving? She knew the meal had been a bit awkward, but figured once it was out of the way, they'd give the dogs a tug rope and pick up where they'd left off.
Will called Tuck to his side and clicked the leash onto his collar.
Charlie leaned back against the wall, hoping for a goodbye kiss. But it didn't come.
"Sorry I have to go so soon. But I have a lot of work to catch up on before Monday. I know, I know. I'm way too much of a workaholic, and I'm sorry we didn't get to practice the heel command as promised. But we can do all that tomorrow, right? Wanna come over to my place after work? Say, 6:30?"
Charlie's heart sank as she realized he wasn't talking about picking up where they'd left off with them, but rather with the dogs. "Sure, that'd be great," she said hollowly.
"Okay. I'll text you later tonight with my address. See you—and Rugby—then."
On that note, he and his Retriever left without so much as even a pat on the head for Rugby or a kiss on the cheek for Charlie.
She almost didn't go over to Will's the next day as planned. He’d proven himself maddeningly difficult to read, and had their one kiss not been so wonderful, she would have given up on him entirely. She didn't like jumping through hoops or dealing with the whole "Does he like me? Doesn't he?" crap from her high school days. She was a grown woman, and she deserved to be treated like one.
While she liked Will enough to give him another chance, she had enough self-respect to restrict it to only a single last chance. If he couldn’t even acknowledge what had happened between them yesterday, well…
She'd hire a professional dog trainer or watch more Dog Whisperer. As she'd proven to herself a couple of nights before, working with Rugby wasn't rocket science. She only had to put in the time, which she had in spades, what with the school year not resuming for another few weeks. By then, Rugby would be the model canine citizen, putting even Tuck to shame.
Oh, but she hoped things would go differently.
That night, she arrived at his house a full fifteen minutes late. Her mouth fell open as she took in the stately brick home eerily reminiscent of a British Regency manor. It definitely stood out from the other split-level and cabin-style houses that dominated the Anchorage suburbs.
So this was what came from playing life by the book? Nice, but she'd take her simple, free life over this one any day.
Will must have heard her pull into the drive, because he called to her almost the moment she stepped out of her car. "I'm out around back!"
She opened the side door of her coupe without bothering to leash Rugby.
He bounded out and raced to the rear of the McMansion. The houses were spaced far enough apart that she could chase him down in her car should he decide to make a break for it. Besides, he was too excited about getting to play with Tuck to even bother attempting an escape.
She half-expected to find Will standing over a smoking grill wearing a "Kiss the Cook" apron—a disturbing picture, she had no idea how such an image had ended up in her mind. When she finally made it around the giant house and into the backyard, she spotted Will wearing a simple shorts and polo shirt ensemble and rolling around on the grass with the dogs.
His muscles bulged as he wrestled with the happy canines, and although his hair was messy, he looked the most handsome Charlie had ever seen him.
She smiled despite herself.
Will laughed as Rugby used his large snout to try to roll him over. He looked up as Charlie closed the latch of the gate behind her. "Someone sure is happy to see me," he gasped between laughs.
Charlie smiled back and tried to suppress a blush. Was she wearing her attraction right on her sleeve for the whole world to see?
He put Rugby in a headlock with one arm and used his free hand to scratch the dog between his ears. "He's really coming around, isn't he? He's like a totally different dog than when we first met." Will raised his voice to a higher, baby-like pitch. "Aren't you, you big lug? Aaargh."
The two continued their game, forcing Charlie to wonder whether Will was using her to get to her dog. The idea seemed ludicrous, but then again nothing about her time with Will so far—or even her attraction to him in the first place—had made even a lick of sense.
Tuck ran over and stuck his muzzle between Charlie's dangling hand and her hip. At least, someone was paying attention to her. She patted the golden retriever on his head.
As soon as he received the requisite hello pat, Tuck ran back over to play with Will and Rugby, leaving Charlie by her lonesome once again.
What was she supposed to do in this situation? Jog over to them and roll around on the ground, too—never mind her sundress? Demand Will stop playing with her dog and pay attention to her instead? Barge out of his yard and come by to collect Rugby later?
Another five minutes passed as dogs and man had their fun.
At last, Charlie could take it no more. "Rugby, come," she called, and, luckily, he obliged.
Will stood and brushed off the dirt and grass, which clung to his clothes in clumps. "You're... you're leaving?" he asked, acknowledging her for the first time since she'd arrived.
Charlie nodded while reaching down to snap the leash on Rugby's collar.
Of course, her dog chose that moment to bolt away to the other side of the yard and join Tuck in a pick-up game of dog soccer.
Will closed the distance between them until he was only a couple feet away.
She grimaced and wrapped her arms around her torso in an attempt to keep him out of her space. Coming here had been a mistake. She should've known yesterday when he left suddenly, refusing to say anything to acknowledge their kiss.
Well, she had too much pride to beg for his attention the way Rugby begged for leftovers. She was the main course, and she refused to be treated like anything less.
"Charlie," Will said, placing a hand on her forearm. "What's wrong? Why are you leaving?"
If he wanted to make this into a whole dramatic ordeal, fine. "You don't have to humor me with the dog lessons. I can find somebody else. C'mon, Rugby."
The Rottweiler's ears perked up. He gazed her direction but refused to come over. Perhaps he sensed the fight brewing and wanted to keep as far away as possible. Smart dog.
Will backed up half a pace and lowered his hands. "Am I not doing a good job? I thought we were making good prog—"
"It's not about the stupid lessons, okay?" She stamped her foot and held herself tighter. "I put myself out there for you. I kissed you rather than waiting for you to make the first move, and now you're acting like it never happened. I'm not going to make myself available, only to be ignored. So thank you, and goodbye."
She didn't allow him any time to respond. Instead, she marched right over to the dogs, forced the leash on Rugby, and slammed the gate behind them when they left.
Now it was she who purposely ignored him. It's probably what he wanted anyway, since he clearly didn't have the desire—or at
least the balls—to take a chance on her.
"Charlie, wait!" he called and came jogging after them, only catching up as she ushered Rugby into the back seat of the car.
Charlie slammed that door, too.
Will's face glowed red as he stood before her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.... Well, what I'm trying to say is... I never.... Oh, to heck with it." And with that, he pushed her body back against the car and locked his lips onto hers.
Chapter 6
Will pressed his body into Charlie's, pushing her back against the dusty car door. He trailed an index finger down the soft curve of her neck, making her shiver beneath him.
Clearly enjoying herself, she raked her hands through his hair and pulled him even closer, pushing her hips against his.
How had he been so stupid? To almost let her get away before he'd even caught her—such an idiot! He'd almost denied himself the chance to get to know this beautiful woman because she kind of looked like Ashlee. But, now, as she pulled back and looked up at him, he noticed how different the two women really were.
Ashlee's eyes were deep pools of brown, whereas, Charlie's held flecks of sparkling green. Charlie's aura felt sweet and inviting, whereas, the starkness of Ashlee's put him off. Yes, Charlie offered something different, something he found incredibly exciting.
Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she studied him, and he realized she'd been waiting for him to make the next move, waiting for him to prove how much he wanted to take a chance on her, too.
Will ran his palms up her subtle curves and crushed his lips to hers. He placed one palm on the back of her head to deepen the kiss, and the other on the side of the car to steady himself, bringing them that much closer.
WOOF! WOOF! An anxious yip came from behind them.
Charlie pulled away, her face red where his stubble had brushed against her skin. "Oh, I almost forgot about Rugby."
Will's pulse quickened. He didn't want any excuse to stop kissing her for even a minute. Last time when the dogs had interrupted them, the break had been just long enough for him to lose his nerve. He hadn't been romantically involved with anyone since Ashlee, close to a year ago. These past few afternoons with Charlie, however, had proven he was ready to move on and wanted somebody special to share his evenings.
You Belong with Me (Cupid's Bow Book 5) Page 3
