by Layla Hagen
“You’ll look when we’re alone.” Will’s voice was a delicious growl.
“Oh, once we’re alone I’ll do more than look. I’ll trace them with my tongue, just to show my appreciation, of course.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Paige
Will’s gaze darkened. He kissed one of my palms, then the other, then placed my hands at the sides of his neck, as if he didn’t want me to stop touching him. He just wanted me to keep the touching to safe areas. Cool. I could do that. I was buzzed and turned on, but I could pull it off.
“You look hotter than ever tonight, Detective.” Was that my voice? Low and husky, wanton.
He feathered his lips against my cheek. The five o’clock shadow he had going on was grazing my skin in the most delicious way.
Thankfully, our Uber arrived, interrupting the moment. The heat was getting out of control.
The effects of the alcohol wore off on the journey, but I wasn’t sorry. The slight buzz had been relaxing and fun, but I wanted my senses on alert for the sexy part of the evening. I scooted closer to Will.
“Do you think the driver knows we’ll be up to no good once he drops us off?” I asked.
“Who said we will?”
Oh, right... he was playing hard to get, wasn’t he? I pulled away, smiling saucily... or trying to. Will smirked back, which made me think my saucy smile looked more like a lunatic grin.
Well, that was just fine. I’d never managed to pull off saucy, but I had plenty of other talents. I got to work, tempting Will Connor like it was my job. I lifted the hem of my dress until I was showing plenty of leg. Then I accidentally on purpose rubbed my thigh against his. Will tensed. I grinned to myself. My plan was working.
When we climbed out of the car, Will kissed me before we even entered my building. Ha! That was easy. I was feeling very smug about it all when he suddenly lifted me off my feet.
“What are you doing?”
“Carrying you, or you’ll rip off my clothes before we make it to your apartment.”
Damn it. My hands had been under his T-shirt. Again. Oh, yeah. Eyes on the prize, Paige. Eyes on the prize. Being carried was nice, though. In fact, better than nice. I could touch him to my heart’s desire, and there was nothing he could do to stop me. He was so manly, shouldering the doors open, not even breaking a sweat, as if carrying me was no big deal. He made me feel safe and protected. This big, muscly man was handling me with utmost gentleness, and it spoke to a primal part of me... a part I wasn’t even aware of until now.
Will put me down once we got into the bedroom. God, that look in his gaze. It held heat and affection. No one had ever looked at me like that.
“You had fun tonight?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah. Lots of cocktails, and we danced. Val and Hailey even got two hotties as dancing partners.”
“And you...?” He swallowed. “You danced alone all night?”
His tone was casual, but even so, I knew he’d be hurt if I’d danced with another man.
“Unless you count Lori and Maddie as dancing partners, then yes, I danced alone,” I assured him.
He cupped my face, then kissed my lower lip. “I don’t know if it’s wrong to feel so possessive of you, Paige. But I can’t feel otherwise. The thought of anyone else touching you....”
“You’re the only one touching me, Will.”
“That’s right.” He kissed down my neck, murmuring, “I love your dress.” Before I could ask why, he whisked it away, providing the answer: it was easy to remove.
We tumbled into bed, clothes flying left and right until we were both naked.
“Ride me, Paige,” Will said, sliding on protection. He was sitting with his back against the headboard, and he brought me on top of him in one swift move, positioning me with my back to his chest. He rubbed the tip of his erection across each of my ass cheeks, then gripped my hips, and I lowered myself on him slowly. Will’s hands were on my waist, then skimmed further up so his palms pressed the side of my breasts.
His fingers teased the peaks. I was on top, but he still had so much control, which I relished. I loved controlling every aspect of my life, but here, where it was just the two of us, I loved that he took over, that he showed me pleasure like I hadn’t thought possible. I was moving faster now, bobbing up and down, loving this new angle.
My ass cheeks slapped against his thighs, and then Will took over completely, pounding hard inside me from below.
“Will, fuck. This angle... you’re killing me.”
He kissed my neck, my back, every part of me that he could reach. When he slid a hand between my thighs, pinching my clit, I gasped his name. I hadn’t braced myself for the shot of pleasure.
My spine arched, and I bent forward, feeling the reverberations in every muscle. I heaved a breath, aware that my thighs were shaking. Will had stilled. He wasn’t thrusting inside me anymore, just moving two fingers on my clit. My insides were clenching. I didn’t know if he’d grown wider or I’d become tighter, but all of a sudden, the pleasure was too intense.
The muscles in my legs and belly tensed. I was going to come undone any second now.
“That’s it, babe. I want to feel you come all over my cock.”
I exploded around him. The orgasm engulfed every cell of my body. I felt on fire from the tips of my fingers to the ends of my hair. My eyes watered from the intensity of it. My body was pure sensation. I was wrapped in Will. He was holding me by the waist and raining kisses on my back. He held me like that until I was breathing normally again, then he switched positions, placing me on all fours.
I felt him behind me, and then he reached a hand between my legs, teasing my clit. I pressed my forehead against the mattress, breathing in deeply, already shivering in anticipation.
When the length of his erection rubbed between my cheeks, heat sparked up along my spine.
“Inside me. Now. Please.”
I couldn’t form full sentences, but Will obliged me. He slid inside me to the hilt, and then he moved faster than ever, slamming against me harder than ever. He gave me every ounce of pleasure I could take, while claiming his own. I was still tight from the first climax, and that feeling was otherworldly. Will rubbed against my inner walls, filling me up so thoroughly that I thought I’d tear up from the intense pleasure. I finished before him, and Will thrust into me right through it, until he climaxed too.
When he pulled out of me, he swore under his breath.
I tensed. “What’s wrong?”
“The condom broke.”
I sucked in a breath, turning around.
“Are you—” I’d been about to ask “Are you sure?” but I had the proof before my eyes. My stomach shrank to the size of a peanut. On shaky legs, I hurried to the bathroom. Will followed me. I wished he hadn’t, because I needed a few seconds to pull myself together. I hopped straight into the shower. I’d begun to shake, and welcomed the warm spray of water.
Since my shower only fit one person, Will was standing right outside it, watching me. He’d cleaned up at the sink. What was he thinking? I wanted him to talk, but at the same time was afraid of what he’d say. I was still shaking, despite the warm spray.
“I’m sorry,” Will said gently.
“It’s not your fault. These things happen.” I tried to work every ounce of bravado I could into my voice.
Will wrapped a towel around his lower body and stepped closer.
“Paige, you’re shaking. You’re nervous.”
He could see that? How? I wasn’t shaking that visibly, was I? I turned off the water, unsure of what to do, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Will offered me a robe. Stepping out, I put it on. I knew we should talk, but right then I really wanted to feel Will’s arms around me. I was too afraid to ask for a hug, though. As we left the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was seven shades paler, looking as if I’d lost blood. No wonder Will had guessed my terror. I went to the kitchen, though I wasn’t sure why.
&n
bsp; “Paige?” Will’s voice was soft. “What do you need? I’ll do it for you. You’re still shaking. Tea?”
I nodded. “Tea would be good.”
It was a good thing he’d taken over, because my fingers were too shaky to be of any good. A few minutes later, he handed me a steamy cup. We were still standing awkwardly in the kitchen.
“Now you’re going to tell me why you’re so terrified.”
I clasped the cup tighter. “Because this can have consequences, and... I can’t take the morning-after pill. I took it once a few years ago, and it messed me up hormonally. My ob-gyn advised me never to take it again. It’s also why I’m not on any form of birth control. I have a hormonal sensitivity.”
I was mentally building up arguments, waiting for him to push the idea of the pill. He didn’t look angry, which was good.
“Okay, no pill then.” The knot loosened a bit, but I was still on edge. “Paige, talk to me.”
His expression lightened up, and the next words came out easier.
“I know the chances of... pregnancy are slim. I’m not even in the ovulation portion of my cycle. But we don’t need this stress of uncertainty in our relationship now.”
Will stepped right in front of me, taking my face in his hands. “It doesn’t mean we can’t handle it.”
“And what if it happens?” I whispered.
“Then we’ll have a little girl or boy. Personally, I’d keep my fingers crossed for a girl.”
I blinked a few times, setting the mug on the counter. “You’re not scared.”
“Not one bit.” He kissed my forehead and wrapped his strong arms around me, giving me that hug I needed so much. “I understand if you are, but I don’t want any of that fear to have to do with me. Whatever happens, I’m here for you, Paige.”
“Because you’d do the right thing.”
He pulled back just enough to be able to make eye contact. “This isn’t just about duty. I care about you.”
Something amazing happened. A sweet warmth overpowered my fears. Then I was drowning in embarrassment. I fixed my gaze on Will’s Adam’s apple.
“I’m sorry I freaked out.”
“Being scared is human, Paige. I’ll be there for you through all of it.”
I smiled. “Are you saying these things because there might be a mini-Will in here?”
“Maybe I’ve wanted to say them for a while but didn’t find the right moment.”
I felt flutters in my belly. “Is that code for you were afraid?”
Will pulled my bottom lip into his mouth, then kissed the bow above the upper lip.
“I did just say it’s normal to be scared, so I’m gonna man up and admit that I was.”
I felt so much lighter, even though I knew that if the unlikely happened, it would put a strain on our relationship.
“Are you going to finish your tea?” he asked.
“Well, I was thinking it might warm me up, but now I’m thinking there are better ways to warm up.”
He tilted his head, offering a cute, lopsided grin. “Such as?”
“Body contact. Level of heat is disproportionate to number of clothes and proportionate to number of muscles. Know anyone interested?”
Will dropped his towel to the floor. I heated up before he even touched me, but then he scooped me up in his arms and I was on fire.
“You’ve read my mind,” he informed me while carrying me to the bedroom. “I think we both have too much adrenaline to sleep.”
“Pffft, maybe you do. I meant nothing more than a cuddle.”
“And what makes you think I meant something else?” He did away with my robe before we climbed into bed.
“Hmpf.” I’d tried to say actual words, but Will had licked one nipple, pulling it between his lips.
“What was that?” he moved to the other nipple. I didn’t bother to reply. I was too busy squirming and enjoying his mouth. Will kissed up to my ear, and I became aware that every inch of my side was pressing against his body.
“Paige, are we good?” he asked softly.
I nodded, turning on one side too, watching him. “Yes.”
He gave me a long, deep kiss and held me until I fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Will
“Val, how much longer are you planning to torture us?” I demanded. We were at Friday dinner, and Val had brought samples from the office, asking our opinions, calling us her testers. The girls’ group, which comprised Lori, Hailey, Maddie, and Paige, was ecstatic trying out everything, giving Val detailed reports on every fragrance.
“Until you give me your opinion,” Val replied sweetly.
“Why do you need our input on women’s fragrances?” Jace voiced my exact thoughts.
“Because I want to know if you’d like these on a woman. It’s an important part of research.”
Jace and I carefully avoided looking at each other.
I was always up for helping my sisters, but the most I could come up with was I like it or I don’t like it. Val wasn’t satisfied with that. She prodded us with questions like “How about the undertone? The finishing notes? Do you feel the pepper at all? Would mint be better?”
Milo had been the only one to escape this, and that was just because he was spending the night at a friend’s house.
Graham and Landon were sharing my conundrum, but we all tried our best. We had our eyes on the prize. Dinner. Except the girls were having too much fun trying out the samples... so much fun, in fact, that it didn’t look like we’d have dinner anytime soon.
“That guy I danced with the other night asked for my number, and we went out on Wednesday,” Val told the girls.
She’d lowered her voice, but even so, bits of the conversation filtered through the living room. The girls were sitting at the dining room table, and the guys and I in the seating area on the other side of the room.
When the word tongue reached our ears, Landon cleared his throat loudly. “Val, how about continuing girl talk another time? We can hear you, you know.”
Val glanced over her shoulder, smiling sheepishly. “Oops, didn’t realize I was talking so loudly.”
“Who is she talking about?” Jace inquired. “That guy from the girls’ outing two weeks ago? He seemed like a schmuck.”
I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Brother, don’t get her hackles to rise, or we might not get dinner.”
Usually Jace wasn’t one to jump the gun. That was my role. He took most things in stride, but he’d been on edge lately. He’d started dating a woman he was very much into, and discovered that she’d been more into his fame than into him. It didn’t use to bother him, but my brother was changing. He was generous and trusted easily, which could be a bad combo, and I’d always worried for him.
Val finally showed us some mercy, and we moved on to dinner.
“Will, I’ve heard the case against the guy in charge of the car robberies was dismissed by the judge,” Landon said after we’d all eaten and headed back to the sitting area.
I nodded. “Yeah. Fight’s not over yet, but chances are high that the guy will walk away without a charge.”
Val’s eyes widened.
“Don’t hold back. I can feel you wanting to say something,” I urged.
She cleared her throat. “Maybe I’m just secretly observing.”
I didn’t manage to hide my smile. “Your secret observations are usually followed by comments.”
She pressed her lips together, then turned to Hailey. “We didn’t even get wind of this.”
“Yeah,” Hailey replied. “How did we not pick up on this? You’re not displaying your usual broody forehead.”
Val pointed to Paige, who was sitting next to me. “Is this your doing?”
Paige flashed my sisters a grin, then half turned to me. “I think it might be.”
Her left hand was on the table, and I covered it with mine. “I’m not going to confirm that. Might give certain people crazy ideas.”
Paige wiggled
her hand out of my grasp, pinching my thigh. Val was 100 percent on point. Paige was changing me. Or rather, I was willing to change for her.
Even when I wasn’t with her, I found myself thinking about her, brainstorming about where to take her on dates. Pleasing Paige had become a goal. Right now, I was monitoring the Griffith Observatory reports for a meteor shower viewing. She’d talked a lot about constellations that night on my balcony, so I thought she’d like this.
When it was time to pop open a new bottle of wine, I offered to get it. Val was on my heels. We needed new glasses as well because we were moving from white wine to red wine.
I hadn’t even realized that I’d whipped out my phone to check the Griffith Observatory homepage until I saw my sister peeking.
“Hey, stay out of my business,” I admonished.
“But maybe you need pointers.”
“Nope, I’m good.”
“I always knew it.”
“What?”
“That you’ve got a dreamy soul hidden deep inside there. Very deep.”
“What made you think that? I was a punk growing up.”
“No, you were trying to be a punk, big difference. You were a sweetie underneath it all.”
I stared at my sister as I grabbed the bottle and a few glasses, and she grabbed the rest. Sweetie, really? Out of all the ways she could have described me....
“Please explain,” I said as we made our way back to the living room, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.
“Well, you always pulled a lot of stunts, but you were so sweet with Lori and Jace and Hailey. Always volunteered to do activities with them. Even read them bedtime stories when Landon and I were working.”
I tried to school my expression, because... damn, she was right. I hadn’t done those things only out of a sense of duty, but because I’d genuinely enjoyed it. Spending all that time with my younger siblings had earned me snickers from friends at school, but I’d never cared.
“And what about you, lovely girl? More lemonade?” I asked Paige after Val and I had given everyone a glass.
