by Layla Hagen
“Or maybe you just want to be kissed, Paige.”
She swallowed and looked away. I pushed on. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to admit it. I plan to do it until you beg me for more.”
***
Paige
Will picked an excellent restaurant. Unfortunately, while delicious, the portions had also been tiny. We were both still hungry after we finished, but for some reason, instead of taking him up on the offer of ordering seconds, I said, “We can go back to my place, and I’ll whip us up something.”
I had no idea what had possessed me to say it. I was a shitty cook. I had ingredients for dinner, but truthfully, I never shared my cooking. With a cocky grin, Will had taken me up on my offer.
I wasn’t sure I was going to pull it off. Especially with him in my kitchen. I felt his presence, even though he wasn’t in my line of vision, and I had trouble concentrating on following the recipe, which meant the risk of this ending up tasting like dog food was higher than usual. Focus, Paige. Focus. I reread the last two steps. Goddamn. I’d done step two, but had forgotten about step one. I was nervous.
“Paige, you’re sure you don’t want me to take over?” Will asked for the millionth time. He’d been a great help chopping the vegetables, but I’d assured him I could do the actual cooking.
“Nope. I’m fine.”
“Just saying, that doesn’t smell like cinnamon.”
Oh, crap. I looked from the pan to the ingredients... and realized I’d forgotten the cinnamon. I turned to inspect the drawer to the left. It had to be there....
While I was searching through piles of useless stuff, several things happened at the same time. First, a foul smell assaulted my senses. Then Will crashed into the kitchen, just as I turned around to see the sauce spill over. Will removed it from the stove, but it was too late. It had already spilled.
“Crap, crap, crap,” I exclaimed. Then I realized Will was... shaking with laughter. I’d seen him laugh before, but never like this. He was laughing with his entire body, and I couldn’t help but join in. We cleaned the stove together, and as I washed the sponge, Will came up behind me. He set his hands on the edge of the sink, trapping me. Then I felt his lips tugging at my earlobe.
“Not much of a cook?”
“Nope.”
“Why didn’t you say so from the start? We could just order in.”
“I wanted to do something nice for you.” The admission felt intimate. I hadn’t had the urge to impress a man in years. Will’s hands were still grasping the counter, but his chest was pressing against my back and his lips were torturing that spot just below my ear.
“Aren’t you hungry?” I whispered.
“I’m starving. I’m starved for you, Paige.”
My body moved on instinct. I pushed my hips back, seeking as much contact as possible. When I felt his hard-on against my ass, I moaned. Heat shot straight between my thighs. Will moved one hand to my right hip. He kept the other hand firmly on the counter as if he didn’t trust himself to touch me with both hands.
“I’ve been thinking about you the entire day. About how much I want you,” he murmured, and his mouth was now moving down the side of my neck, then back up to my earlobe. I was shuddering. He was barely touching me, and yet my entire body was responding to him. How could he do that?
And when those light kisses turned more passionate and I felt the tip of his tongue just below my earlobe, I gasped out his name, moving my hand to tug at his hair, desperate to touch him—any part of him.
“Paige....”
Will flipped me around, and I caught just a glimpse of the fire in his eyes before his mouth descended on mine. He’d never kissed me like this. He wasn’t just exploring me. He owned me with that one kiss. He moved to my neck again, and then he stilled. I felt as if I was in a haze. Everything around us blurred. I was only aware of Will’s hard body backing me into the counter, of my nipples tightening.
“Paige, if you want us to stop, say something, and say it fast.”
His hot breaths against the sensitive skin on my neck wiped away every thought. His lips were so close to my neck, almost feathering on my skin.
“Ten seconds, Paige,” he murmured. I became aware of a light tremor in Will’s chest and realized that he was barely reining himself in. This desire was all for me. Instead of saying anything, I kissed his jaw and moved my hands to his torso, slipping them under his shirt. A deep groan tore from within him. My knees buckled from feeling the sheer force of his desire. I’d never, ever felt so wanted.
Chapter Fifteen
Paige
One of Will’s hands moved up to cup the back of my head, tilting it up so he had better access. With his tongue, he parted my lips. With his thigh, he parted my legs. Then he lifted me off my feet. Instinctively I held on to him, lacing my hands behind his neck, my legs around his middle.
“Bedroom,” he murmured in between kisses.
“Second door to the left.”
He moved with me wrapped around him. When we barreled into my bedroom, he laid me on the bed. I pushed myself up in a sitting position, turning on the light from the switch near my bed, watching him. He undid the first button of his shirt, starting at the top. I worked on the button at the bottom, then moved to the one above. Will was quicker, but when he reached the last unopened button, he tugged too hard, ripping the button and the shirt. I soaked my panties through at that small popping sound, at the realization of how much he wanted me. Then Will’s chest was bare and my hands were all over it. I worked his belt next, drawing circles with my tongue just under his navel.
“Paige.” He was almost growling the word. He threw his jeans and boxers across the bed, keeping his eyes on me all the while. Then he yanked down my skirt. My blouse went next.
My skin burned everywhere Will’s fingers touched me. When I wore nothing but underwear, Will moved over me. His knees were propped at the sides of my thighs, his elbows at the sides of my shoulders. He had me trapped underneath him, watching me with that molten gaze of his. He brought his face a breath away from mine, feathering his lips against mine before claiming my mouth. He kissed me until I thought I might come just from the way he was stroking my tongue. I pushed my hips up, desperately searching for friction. When my soaked panties collided with Will’s erection, a small, ice-cold tremor spread through me. My thighs began to shake. And Will released a sound.... God, that sound.
He pushed my panties down, then climbed from the bed, grabbing his jeans. He was frantically searching his pockets, and I felt myself get even more aroused when I realized he was searching for a condom.
I turned flat on my belly, reaching to the nightstand, intending to switch off the lights when I heard him roll on the condom. I was still on my belly and still wearing my bra when the mattress shifted and Will came up behind me.
“Don’t turn off the light,” Will murmured. “I want to see you. Don’t hide from me.”
The kiss on the back of my thigh was unexpected and it made me jolt. He moved up to one of my ass cheeks, kissing it, then biting slightly. He was kneading the other cheek in one of his big hands. He moved over me, pressing my belly into the mattress. When I felt his cock between my inner thighs, I spread my legs wider. I wanted to turn around to see him, but I wanted him inside me more. Will pushed inside in one soft move, filling me so thoroughly that I let out a gasp.
“Will, oh fuck.”
He stilled, and my inner muscles pulsed as my body accommodated him.
“Baby, this feels good,” he whispered, and then started to move in and out. He was moving slowly, but he still knocked the breath out of me every time he slid back in. I wasn’t used to being so full. Just when I thought I couldn’t take so much sensation, Will slid a hand between my pelvis and the mattress and touched my clit. Pleasure washed over me in quick, powerful waves. Will was working me up to an orgasm, and I wasn’t sure I could take it. I felt like my bones might liquefy from the pleasure. My center was burning; the muscles in my entire body
were strung tight in anticipation. I was so, so close, but not there yet. I’d never needed my release so badly. Will was moving his fingers expertly, but instead of giving me what I craved, he said, “I need to see your beautiful face, Paige.”
He pulled out, and I felt him open the clasp of my bra. I tossed it to the side as I turned around. Will settled between my legs again, and then he pushed all the way inside me. I clenched around him. Fuck, had he grown bigger in the last few seconds? It certainly felt that way. Or maybe it was the new position.
He was moving just as slowly as before, in and out, in and out. I needed the pressure on my clit, so I attempted to touch myself, but Will shook his head.
“That’s mine to touch.”
“So touch.” I knew I sounded desperate, but by God, I was.
“Not yet.”
“Don’t torture me like that,” I pleaded.
He tugged my lower lip between his teeth. “You’ll come hard, babe. I promise.”
When he finally did press his thumb on the bundle of nerves, I broke out in a sweat. Then he stilled, taking his hand away, and starting the sweet torture all over again. I felt that if I didn’t come soon I might start crying, simply because my body couldn’t take the almost-there-but-not-quite tension. But Will was close too now. His thrusts were faster, deeper, and I knew that he was going to let me come.
I climaxed first, and almost blacked out from the intensity of it. My vision faded; my breath got caught in my throat as I cried out. Will followed me a few seconds later, rocking against me until we were both spent.
I couldn’t even feel my body afterward as we lay side by side. I wanted to snuggle, but I couldn’t even muster up the energy for that.
Will kissed the side of my head. “Shower?”
“I don’t think I can move,” I whispered.
“You don’t have to. I’ll carry you.”
“Why can you still move?”
He chuckled. “I guess you didn’t wear me out yet. But the night’s still young.”
My nipples perked up at that. My inner muscles clenched. Yep... I was so exhausted I couldn’t even move, but my body was still hot for Will.
My shower was much too small for two people, so we ended up showering separately. I went in first, then felt semihuman again as I waited for Will in the living room, wearing a robe. I was perusing a takeout menu on my phone when he joined me, with a towel wrapped around his lower body.
He sat next to me on the couch, looking over the menu.
“This avocado and quinoa salad sounds good,” I muttered.
Will smirked. “I need a steak. Salad won’t cut it after that workout.”
“I thought I didn’t wear you out.” I elbowed him playfully, then placed the food order.
“Who knows what other fiendish plans you have for the night.”
“If there’s a fiend here, that’s you. You almost killed me.”
“So you didn’t love every minute of it?”
“I loved every second.” I swallowed as he took the phone out of my hands and pulled me into a kiss.
We made out like teenagers until our food arrived, and then we enjoyed the food on the couch, eating directly from the takeout boxes.
“This is dry as paper,” Will commented. He’d been chewing on the same bite of steak for a whole minute.
“Your own fault. Delivered steak is never good.”
“Bet it’s better than a steak you’d cook.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but swallowed the words because the man had a point.
“I will let that mean comment slide only because it’s true. And because I’m feeling unnaturally generous, I’m going to share my salad with you.”
I used the opportunity to snuggle up to him.
“Unnaturally generous, huh? Why might that be?”
“Just a side effect from that amazing orgasm.”
Will laughed and then went on to eat almost half my salad. I took a few bites from his steak, and didn’t find it all that bad, but that might just be because I’d gotten used to my own atrocious cooking. We were up late long after we finished eating, talking about everything and nothing, just enjoying each other.
Ping. Ping. Ping.
I opened one eye. The bedroom was dark. I didn’t remember walking to bed. Had Will carried me? Speaking of Will... he was putting on clothes. That was the sound that had woken me.
“Will?” I murmured.
“Shhh... go back to sleep. It’s five thirty. I need to get going so I can change before my shift starts. Sorry I woke you up.”
“No, that’s fine. I need to be up at six.”
“Damn, I’ve been dying to kiss you since I woke up. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have held back.”
I chuckled, and even though I usually valued even five minutes of extra sleep, I dragged myself out of bed. Snuggling up to Will was an excellent incentive to forgo sleep.
“Coffee?” I asked.
“Would be great.”
I moved to the kitchen and started the coffee machine. While I waited for it to warm up, Will came out fully dressed. He buckled his belt, then arranged the collar of his shirt. He grimaced, wincing.
“What’s wrong?”
“A scratch. Forgot about it.”
“Let me see.”
He lowered one shoulder and turned the collar down, revealing an ugly, deep scratch.
“Did I... I didn’t do that, right?”
Will chuckled, straightening up. “No. Got it at work yesterday. Made an arrest. Guy wasn’t too happy.”
I blinked, suddenly feeling wide awake. How didn’t I notice it last night? I know we were... busy, but still... “Did a doctor check that out? Looks deep.”
“Nah, it’s just a scratch.”
That blasé attitude didn’t exactly reassure me. “You’ve had worse?”
Will must have heard the tension in my voice, because his smile faded.
“There are rough times. Not often since I’m not out on the field daily, but... yeah....”
I nodded, then turned to the coffee machine. It had warmed up. The light indicating it was ready to brew coffee was green, so I pushed the button.
Will brought a hand to my waist, gently turning me around.
“Paige, what is it? You’ve gone all... inside yourself, like a turtle.”
I tried to muster a smile, but couldn’t. “Nothing, I... I just don’t like that thought. You getting hurt.”
Will was silent for a full minute before saying, “You’re not a big fan of my job, are you?”
“I’d love it if your job description didn’t include the possibility of getting hurt.”
“Someone’s got to do the job.” I said nothing, so Will continued in a soft voice. “Is this a big problem for you?”
My insides strummed tight. I didn’t have an answer for him, but I was afraid that if I owned up to that, this thing between us would be over before it started. So I shook my head. I couldn’t tell if Will bought it, so I made the second coffee. While we sipped, Will said, “We’re going to talk about this, okay? Not now when I have one foot out the door, but at some point. We’re going to figure it out.”
“Okay.” We’d talk about it some other time. That simple fact reassured me, and I felt tension lift from my shoulders.
I set my empty cup on the counter, and Will set his next to mine, then pulled me flush against him, lowering his mouth to mine. His kisses were the essence of life. Seriously. Just feeling the tip of his tongue on mine electrified me to the tips of my fingers and toes. He didn’t stop at kissing, though. He walked me backward until I felt the wall against my back. His hands were all over me, undoing the robe. He slid both hands to cup my ass. My breasts were pressing against his chest.
“That’s how you do good morning kisses?” I teased. Will replied by pressing me against his crotch. “Easy there, or I’m not going to let you walk out the door and kick ass.”
Will smiled lazily against my lips. “You’re gonna tempt m
e?”
My seductive maneuvers usually sucked in the morning, but Will was an excellent inspiration.
Chapter Sixteen
Will
I spent the better part of the next few days buried in paperwork for the string of car robberies case we’d been tracking for almost a year, building a case against the top dog of the group. We’d finally managed to make some arrests, getting closer to dismantling the operation. There was nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you’d stopped a criminal from committing any more wrongdoings. Sure the world wasn’t a safe place, but at least it was safer than yesterday.
On Monday I picked up Milo from school. Lori and Graham had left for their honeymoon that morning, and Milo was staying with me for a week. It was why I hadn’t made any plans with Paige. I didn’t know how she felt about hanging around with me and an eight-year-old, but now I was wondering if she’d mind. Man, I was whipped. There was no other word for it. This woman was constantly on my mind. It was a foreign feeling for me, despite having dated for more than fifteen years. Usually I was good at separating my dating life from everything else. It wasn’t something I’d done consciously; it had just felt natural. Since I’d met Paige, those lines were blurring.
I’d been texting her several times a day, wanting her to know that I was thinking about her, that I couldn’t wait to see her again.
“Uncle Will, can we eat fried chicken tonight?” Milo asked after I picked him up. I fought to hide a smile.
“On one condition: you don’t tell your mom.”
Milo grinned from ear to ear. “I won’t.”
“I need you to promise.”
“I promise.”
“Don’t forget. A man never breaks his word.”
Milo stood straighter, suddenly serious. “I am a man of my word.”
“That you are.”
For a kid, Milo was remarkably great at keeping secrets, which was perfect, because Lori would probably have a heart attack if she knew the stunts Milo and I had pulled together. But what Lori didn’t know didn’t hurt her.
