Say You Want Me

by Corinne Michaels

  We’ll go with that.

  I move over to the sink and hop up.

  “Did she now?”

  “Worried?”

  “Nope. I’m her favorite. She’d never sell me out.”

  “You could at least play along.”

  I hear the door open, the flap of the towel, and his throaty chuckle. I gaze at the floor as his feet come into view. God he even has sexy feet. I didn’t even know that was a thing, but Wyatt’s got them. My eyes drift up, taking in his body as he stands before me wearing only a towel. “I would rather play with something else.” Slowly, he starts to unravel the knot tied at his waist.

  My hand flies to my face, ensuring I don’t see anything. “Put clothes on!”

  “You can look,” he offers.

  I shake my head. He’s so close. All I smell is his clean and musky scent around me. The steam from the shower billows around us, and my hormones kick to double time. “I’ve already seen you naked. It’s nothing to write home about.”

  He shifts forward and nestles himself between my legs. “I think you’re lying, Big City. I think right now you want to look.”

  My eyes flash open and I glare at him. “I’m looking.” My voice is laced with venom. “I see nothing I want to play with.” I push him back a little and hop off the sink. It’s too hot in here.

  “No?” Wyatt steps forward, grips my wrist, and places my fingers against his chest. The heat from the shower and the feel of his skin under my palm sends a current through me. Oh God. I can’t breathe. His heart beats beneath my hand as his lips graze my cheek. “Are you cold?” he asks knowing damn well I couldn’t be. I curse the goose bumps that are giving me away right now.

  “No.” The word escapes as a plea. I’ve been doing good. I’ve managed to keep my hands off him at night, my lips to myself, and my rules intact.

  “Just checking.” He shrugs, looking completely unaffected.

  Meanwhile, I’m a bundle of pent-up sexual tension.

  “Asshole.”

  “Your rules, honey.”

  I huff and cross my arms. “Whatever.”

  “Listen, Mama’s been quite busy today. She called and said we’re needed at dinner tonight.”

  “Okay,” I say with apprehension.

  “She said we better be there.” Wyatt kisses the side of my head as he passes.

  I don’t know why she needs us there, but maybe she has more pie. “Will your dad be there?”

  “No.” He cracks his neck. “He’s up in Nashville. You’ll meet him soon.”

  “When are we going?”

  “As soon as you get yourself ready. You know I should probably meet your parents, Ang. We’re kinda bound together.”

  I let out a deep sigh and head into the bedroom. “I’m putting that off as long as possible.”

  While he knows about my parents, I didn’t get too deep. I’m the youngest and by far the most challenging. I tested her at every turn, until she got sick at least. Then I became her caretaker for the most part. My father worked a lot, my brothers were away at college or too busy when they were home, but I was always there. I sat with her at the hospital while she got her chemo. I held her shoulders as she would get sick, and I shaved my head when she lost her hair.

  You would think that would forge an unbreakable bond, but it didn’t. As soon as she went into remission, she practically erased all the time we spent together from her mind. It was as if every moment we shared vanished with the cancer. Since then, I’ve been on my own. I don’t want her to ruin this for me.

  I know exactly how she’ll feel about my being pregnant. And Wyatt. My mother expects a certain type of man. She would not be able to find that value in one who works his ass off on a farm. When Todd brought Presley around, there were some ugly things said about where she grew up. Things that I know my brother did not take kindly to. While Todd and Josh can hold their tongue—I can’t. If she were to say one hateful thing about Wyatt, I’d lose my shit. No need to bring her into this now. I need to figure out too many other things first.

  I exit the room with a sense of unease. “I’m ready.”

  Wyatt smiles and puts his arm out. “You look beautiful.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself.” I hook my hand around his forearm.

  “Told you that I’m a catch.”

  I roll my eyes and smack his shoulder. “You’re also a tool.”

  We walk the trail that leads to his parents’ house. It’s not far, and I could use the exercise. The short trip is spent with me telling him all the stuff his mother said. He tells me about the crazy day on the ranch and how he couldn’t wait to get home. His smile is open and full of warmth. We laugh about Cayden and Logan’s antics today and how Trent and Wyatt are teaching them things to do to Zach. Their newest lesson is the art of toilet papering.

  Boys.

  We approach the house, and Mrs. Hennington is already standing on the huge wrap around porch. “Hi, Mrs. Hennington.” I smile.

  “Oh, now. You can call me Macie, dear.”

  “Macie,” Wyatt says from behind me. “I’m starvin’.”

  “Wyatt Earnest Hennington,” she chides. “You will call me Mama, or I’ll slap you into next Tuesday. Now, gimme some lovin’.” She pats her cheek.

  Wyatt wraps his arms around her and kisses her. “Sorry, Mama.”

  “Don’t you let him get away with a thing,” she tells me.

  I giggle. “I won’t.”

  “I’m serious,” she says. “You let these boys get an inch on you, they’ll take ten miles. And if that baby inside is a boy, Lord help you, darlin’.”

  My face pales a little. Macie turns toward the door as I stand a little stunned. I didn’t even put any thought into the sex of the baby. I mean, I figured it was a girl because . . . I am one. But a boy? I don’t know what to do with a boy by myself. A girl I can teach things to, but boys like dirt and bugs. I’m so not meant to be a mother to boys.

  Especially if he’s like Wyatt. These boys are boys. They hunt, fish, ride horses, and for all I know, they ride bulls too. I’m so screwed.

  “She’s kidding,” Wyatt says against my ear. “My brothers and I were angels.”

  She laughs and shifts so she’s facing us. “More like hellions.”

  “She also has some kind of super hearing.” Wyatt throws his arm over my shoulder and turns to her with a smile. “Don’t you?”

  Macie smirks back. “When you have kids, you learn what to listen for. And if it’s ever quiet . . . you know they’re up to no good.”

  She’s amazing. I want to be her. It’s obvious that she loves her kids and they love her. Wyatt, Trent, and Zach have all stayed close to her. There’s a good reason for that. There’s also a reason my brothers and I got the hell away from our mother.

  Wyatt and I enter the house, and I’m in awe. This house is straight out of a Southern Living magazine. The tapestries on the walls are soft creams with beautiful patterns. The floors are a deep mahogany hardwood. The entryway alone is magnificent and has a staircase on either side that meet in the middle. The foyer is filled with photos of their family. There’s a formal living room off to the right that looks untouched and a huge dining room on the left. We move farther and pass a powder room and a study.

  We enter into the kitchen, which takes up the entire back of the house, and the smells are overwhelming. It’s filled with scents that make me feel at home—a pie baking in the oven with a mix of warm foods. I instantly relax. “Well, if it isn’t Wyatt and Angie.” An older woman stands from her seat at the table.

  “Mrs. Rooney,” Wyatt says before turning his gaze toward his mother. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “Of course, sugar.” She pats the side of his face. “I wanted to make sure Angie knew how happy we all are.” She looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve met her before.

  “All?” he asks with alarm in his voice.

  “We’re all here, honey.” Two more women step in from th
e back porch.

  Oh dear God.

  Now I remember.

  These are the four women who were all sitting around Presley’s house and plying me with baked goods when hell broke loose. Presley told me all about the older women from the town. All four of them have been friends since grade school, and they know everything. They also make the most amazing cake. I swear, I could’ve orgasmed from one slice.

  “Mrs. Townsend!” I walk over and give her a huge hug.

  “Angelina Benson, it is so good to see you again.” She returns my embrace. “You look just radiant.”

  She’s another one of those moms I wish I had.

  We all gather around the table as Mrs. Hennington, Mrs. Rooney, Mrs. Kannan, and Mrs. Townsend talk about the baby and how they can’t wait for the wedding. Wyatt laughs and shakes his head at me whenever I start to correct them. “You need to tell them we’re not getting married,” I whisper in his ear.

  “Trust me. You don’t want to do that. It’s better to let them go off on their tangent. If you correct them, they’ll keep you hostage. Think of it as me savin’ you.”

  I glare at him, and he laughs. “Stop being so damn adorable.”

  My lips purse.

  He leans in and kisses my temple.

  All the conversations that were going on around us cease. I glance around and everyone is looking at us with expressions of delight on their faces.

  I look at him, waiting for some kind of explanation, but he just watches me. I see something in his eyes then. It’s there, but it’s guarded. That knowing feeling sits heavy in my gut as I wonder if I imagined it. Could we both be starting to feel something more?

  I don’t want him to fall in love with me.

  I don’t want to want him.

  I want for us to be friends.

  I want to not fall in love with him.

  But there’s a very good chance I’m not going to be able to stop it.

  Mrs. Hennington clears her throat, breaking the trance. “Have you considered what we talked about, Angie?”

  What we talked about? I scramble through the conversations we’ve had and finally land on what she’s talking about.

  The bakery.

  “I just don’t think it would be right.” I shake my head. “I would really feel terrible when I have to go back to Philly.”

  “I’m sure Becca could use the help,” Macie says, handing me a piece of pie. “With being short staffed and all, she’s a bit overwhelmed. Even if it’s only while you’re here.”

  I want to help. It would be great to have something to do back in the bakery, but I don’t know if I should. Why put down roots when I’m not planning to let the tree grow? My mind goes back and forth over the pros and cons and if I were to take her up on her offer it will give Wyatt false hope.

  “Oh, I would love some help,” Mrs. Kannan says with a smile. “Especially with the festival and the weddings I have comin’ up.”

  “I’m honestly not sure that I would be much help, Mrs. Kannan. By the time I got the lay of the shop, I’d be leaving. It wouldn’t be right.”

  Mrs. Kannan and Mrs. Hennington share a look. I’m not too sure what they’re conveying, but I’m wishing that it’s in support to let it drop. “I understand, but I sure hope you change your mind.”

  Crisis averted.

  We talk a little more, and Wyatt sits next to me with a grin. He looks confident, as if everything is going according to plan. It makes me wonder what else he has up his sleeve. So far, the first two weeks have been almost too easy. We’ve laughed, had tons of dates, had a pretty fantastic kiss, and gotten along great. If things continue at this rate, in a few months, I’m going to have a hard time convincing myself to go back to Philly.

  And that would be a bad thing.

  WYATT TAKES MY HAND AS we walk back to our house, and I let him. It feels comfortable, which leaves a very uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It shouldn’t be as easy as it is. I’ve never liked guys who were touchy-feely, and it makes me wonder why with Wyatt I almost crave it.

  Is it because he’s so sweet? Is it because this is how it’s meant to be? I don’t know about any of this, and Presley is no help. She just smiles when I explain how I feel. It makes no sense that I actually like him as much as I do in such a short amount of time.

  We continue down the path, and I admire the set up the Hennington’s have. They all live on the same piece of land, but they’re not on top of each other. His parents live in what he calls the main house. I call it a freaking mansion. Trent, Wyatt, and Zach all have homes on the property, but Zach’s original place is no longer occupied since he and Presley built their own home.

  “Hey,” I say, stopping dead in my tracks. “Why am I staying with you in your house when Zach’s house is empty?”

  “Because it’s not where you belong.” Wyatt stands in front of me, and I remove my hand from his.

  That makes no sense. He wants me here, but he could at least let me have my own space. I’m kind of pissed at him . . . and Presley. Neither of them thought about how much I would maybe need some separation. “Why? Why would you do that?”

  “Where is this coming from? You never said a word when we were makin’ arrangements. So why are you suddenly pissed?”

  “I don’t know, but I am.” Probably because I didn’t think of it sooner, which isn’t the damn point. “You never gave me a choice. You said I would move here and stay with you. It was decided for me. I still could’ve gotten to know you while living down the road.”

  “No,” Wyatt says with finality.

  “No?”

  “No. You were staying with me. It wasn’t mentioned because it wasn’t an option.”

  My mouth falls open. “And why not?”

  “Because you’re pregnant and you gave me limited time. You’re exactly where I need you.”

  Once again, he renders me speechless. Where he needs me? What does that even mean? I start to think back to some of the comments he’s made and try to decipher any hidden meanings. Wyatt didn’t protest after he got over his shock. He went into “man mode” and wanted to fix it all. I chalked it up to him being a good guy and wanting to take care of me, but I wonder if there’s more. “So that’s all I am?” I ask. “I’m just the girl you got pregnant who needs you to take care of her? This is why you went all commando and tried to tell me we were getting married?” I shoot the questions off in rapid fire.

  “No!” He steps forward. “Maybe when you first said that you were pregnant, my mind went there. But shit, Ang. We’re not kids, and this isn’t something new between us. I don’t understand why you won’t see that you’re not some obligation. I like you. I like bein’ around you. I didn’t offer Zach’s place, because I wanted you close to me. I wanted to see if we were more two years ago, but neither of us were going to move, so I let it go. Why won’t you put down your guard?”

  Because once upon a time when I believed in fairy tales, I was the girl who wanted to be married and have a family. I believed that it would happen, yet it never seemed right. No man seemed worthy of my time. No prince ever showed up, and I learned the hard way that a lot of men would treat me like shit, so I let go of that stupid dream and lived in reality. I built my own damn castle with really high walls. It was a fortress, sturdy enough to ensure I could never be hurt. Now, here Wyatt is with his cannon, finding ways to break my armor. He’s finding cracks in the foundation, and I have to stop him.

  That girl can’t be uncovered.

  That girl is stupid.

  That girl will get her heart broken because this man only wants her because she’s pregnant.

  “Because . . .” I trail off. “You’re . . . such an . . . Ugh! I don’t even know!”

  Wyatt steps forward, and I have to lean back to see his eyes. The sun is setting behind me, shining on his face, and the way he looks at me . . . leaves me breathless. It’s as if I’m the center of his world. It reminds me of how Zach looks at Presley. “I’m doing what’s right. You can
call me whatever you want. But you’re pregnant with my baby, and that means I’m takin’ care of you.”

  “I’m completely capable of taking care of myself. I’ve been alone and been perfectly fine.”

  “It means you belong with me,” he carries on as if I haven’t spoken. “I’m gettin’ pretty tired of explaining this to you. I’ve made it clear to you that I want to make whatever this is work. You’re so hell bent on doin’ this on your own that you won’t even see anything else. If I gave you space, it would solidify your point that you should stay away. You can do this on your own, I know that. But why would you want to? Why are you so adamant about being alone? Why won’t you see that there’s a whole lot of people who want to be a part of your life?”

  “Because it never stays that way!” I yell and cup my hand over my mouth. A tear falls from my eyes as the truth comes out.

  And there it is.

  In my heart, I know why. He’s the kind of guy I want to want me. He’s strong, sexy, caring, and so much more. There are layers to Wyatt, and I want to peel back each one of them. It was why I kept finding ways to be around him when I visited. It was why I practically jumped at the chance to sleep with him. Because Wyatt makes me feel alive. He’s excavated the parts of me I’ve buried under sarcasm and attitude, the girl who wants a man to love her.

  But fairy tales don’t come true.

  People die.

  And I’m destined to be forgotten.

  Wyatt’s thumb brushes the tear away. “You’ve been through a lot of shit, but you haven’t actually dealt with it, have you?”

  I shake my head. “No, you don’t get it, Wyatt. I’m happy. I’m genuinely happy alone. I like my life, my job, my apartment, and now everything is changing. I’ve kept things exactly the same because they work that way!” Another tear falls. “I don’t want to like you. But you’re making it impossible. You’re going to realize I’m a giant pain in the ass. I’m stubborn, and I won’t give up my life for a man. I can’t do it. Because when you do realize I’m not worth the effort—You’ll go.”

  “I’m not leavin’ you. I’m not leavin’ my kid. You’re going to have to get used to that.”