by Jamie Begley
She decided to change the subject before she became angry at his attitude toward Sissy. Willa traced a paper on his desk. “You have several appointments today.”
“I schedule couples’ counseling on Wednesdays. In the morning, I spend my time with couples about to be married. In the afternoon, with those already married.”
“Why haven’t we done that?” Willa asked with interest.
“Because it would be hard to counsel myself,” Lucky replied with a grin.
Once the idea took hold, Willa didn’t want to give it up. “What kinds of things do you counsel the ones getting married on?”
Lucky leaned back in his leather chair, rocking it back and forth casually with his hands laced together across his flat stomach. Willa swallowed hard. Lucky made her want to touch him, yet she couldn’t work up the courage to.
“I discuss their expectations of each other, their finances, if they want a Christian marriage.”
“We could get counseling from the pastor in Jamestown. He’s very nice.”
“Yes, he is. I’ve met him several times. I’m more than willing if that’s really what you want. I’ll call and make an appointment.”
Willa smiled happily until Lucky’s next words had her rethinking bringing in a third party to discuss their relationship.
“I’m surprised. I thought you would balk at talking with someone. You usually try to avoid personal topics…”
Lucky had the phone in his hand, but Willa put her hand over his.
“Personal topics?” she questioned.
“Yes. He will talk briefly about sex and—”
“Maybe we should wait.”
“We’re getting married in two weeks,” Lucky reminded her.
“I know that,” she snapped. “Now that I think of it, I really don’t have the time. I have several orders scheduled, and Beth and Lily still haven’t picked their bridesmaids dresses. It was just a thought, anyway.”
“Sit down, Willa.” When Lucky motioned her over to the chair by the window, she crossed the room and gingerly sat down. “Perhaps it would be better if we just have an open discussion between us. Will that make you feel more comfortable?”
Willa gave a relieved sigh. “Yes.”
“All right.” Lucky sat down in the chair across from her, and Willa looked at him expectantly. “What do you envision for our marriage?”
Willa took a second to think, dreams filling her head of the years ahead. “I see us living a happy, fulfilled life with you as pastor and me helping you however I can. Maybe have … I don’t know, two children?” She looked at him from underneath her lashes. She really wanted four, but she didn’t want to scare him away before she could get a ring on his finger.
Lucky frowned. “Two?”
“One?” Willa bit her lip. How was she going to talk him into four if he only wanted one? Fear that he didn’t want any had her wanting to change the subject. “We can talk about that later. What’s next?”
“We should discuss this now. Children are an important part of a marriage.”
“Can we talk about them later?” Willa twisted her hands together nervously.
His gaze dropped to her lap. “Okay. Then we should talk about finances. What is your credit rating?”
“I’m not sure.”
His frown deepened. “You’re not sure? You’ve been looking at properties to expand your business, so you should be familiar with your credit score.”
“I figured I would check on it when I found a place.”
Lucky ran his hand through his hair. “I could look over your finances—”
“That’s not necessary. I have an accountant.”
“Who?” Lucky asked in a way that made Willa think he believed she wasn’t the best judge of character.
“Dustin Porter.”
Lucky looked horror-stricken. “You let Dustin manage your books? He’s a kid.”
“He’s my age.” That choice of words didn’t seem to make him any happier.
“He doesn’t even have a high school diploma.” Lucky’s voice had risen to the extent that Willa was becoming angry.
“Yes, he does. He earned it over the internet like he did his accounting degree.”
“What was the college? DegreeMart?” Lucky snapped.
“No … Why are you becoming so angry?”
Lucky took a deep breath. “I’m not angry. We’ll come back to that question later.”
“I think that would be a good idea.”
His eyes narrowed at her self-righteous expression.
“What are your expectations of me as your husband?”
Willa gave him a reassuring smile. This one was easy. “I expect you to be faithful, make me happy, and to be a good provider, and faithful.” Willa stressed the last one.
“You mentioned the last one twice.”
“I did?”
“Yes.”
“It’s important to me.”
“I can see that. Can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead,” Willa said apprehensively.
“Do you believe that I love you?”
Willa didn’t immediately answer.
“Willa?”
“I believe that you love me.”
“If you really believe that, then you will trust that I will be faithful.”
Willa’s hands began to twist tighter. “It’s not that I don’t believe you love me. I do, but…”
“What?”
“What if I don’t make you happy? There’s a difference between us—”
“Thank God for that.”
Willa didn’t take that as a compliment. “I meant you’re more experienced than I am. You’ve been with several”—she looked at him askance, but the man was smart enough to remain quiet—“while I haven’t been with anyone. I will only have you, while you’ll be able to compare me to...” Willa cleared her throat. “Do you have a number?”
“No, I don’t have a number. I didn’t keep track.”
She frowned, unsure if that was a good or a bad thing. “Are your fingers crossed?”
Lucky raised his hands, wiggling his fingers. “When you’re in my bed, I can promise I won’t be comparing you to anyone,” he said gently.
“But how can you help it? I compare cupcakes. I compared vans before I bought one…” Her voice trailed off. “What if I’m not any good? What if you don’t enjoy sex with me?”
Lucky was staring at her indulgently while she expressed her fears. Willa had seen the women he had slept with, though. They were freaking gorgeous.
“What if I don’t enjoy sex with you?”
Lucky’s smile slipped.
“Maybe all those women didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” Willa smiled smugly, seeing he hadn’t liked that sentence.
“There’s one way to find out.”
“That’s o—”
“I could fuck you, and you could give me your opinion.”
Lucky hid his smile at Willa’s shocked expression. He had been courting Willa, trying to be respectful of her upbringing in the church and her beliefs. He wanted her to have a courtship she would look back on without regrets or guilt. However, he had failed to take into consideration her lack of self-confidence. As a result, he might have gone too far and given her the misguided belief that he wasn’t attracted to her or didn’t feel the same desire for her that he had for other women. Truthfully, he didn’t; what he felt for her was so much more.
He had never been more conscious of his body’s needs and wants as when he was with Willa. He had even been reduced to mentally quoting scripture when he was tempted to lean her backward on the couch and make love to her instead of watching television. Other times, he had wanted to pin her against the door as he was about to leave and fuck her until she would remember what it felt like to have him in her until he returned.
There wasn’t a day that he didn’t want to return to The Last Riders, yet all
he had to do was be in her presence, and it would pass until the next day. Even the fear of Bridge hurting her wouldn’t change his mind. The accident had shown life could end in an instant, that Willa could get killed at any moment without any effort from Bridge. And, after she was gone, would it hurt any less? No. All he would have was the regret of not being with her when he’d had the chance. Therefore, it was the only decision he could make because he couldn’t live without Willa.
It would serve no purpose to try to talk to Bridge again. It would only reinforce in Bridge’s mind how much Willa meant to Lucky and make her an even bigger target. He was simply going to place his faith in God as he had when he had seen Ria reach Willa before he could, believing she would be kept protected by God’s love and by the precautions he had taken. He was going to roll the dice and pray his luck held out.
Giving Willa up was no longer an option. He couldn’t walk away from her. Even if he was damned for eternity, burning in the fires of Hell, he was going to take his chance of Heaven on Earth and make Willa his wife. It was time he showed his fiancée just how much he wanted her by giving her the part of himself he had held back.
He hadn’t touched her, wanting to show her his respect and love before introducing her to the physical side. Instead, he sensed she had seen it as a lack of passion on his part. Willa needed to feel some of the fire he had been dealing with over the past few months. He only hoped he could keep it from consuming them both. By the time he was finished, she was going to be able to judge for herself exactly how good he was.
“That’s all right. I think this is something we can talk about during another session.” Willa stood up, looking at the clock on Lucky’s side table. “Your next appointment will be coming.”
Lucky took her hand, tugging her down onto his lap. “I have a few minutes. This won’t take long. Kiss me, siren.”
Willa expected him to be the one to initiate the kiss like he always did. She lowered her mouth, touching her lips to his. Parting her lips, she waited for his tongue to enter her mouth; instead, he only parted his lips. Her tongue entered, tasting the sweet coffee he always drank. Then her arms wound around his neck as his hands went to her back, pressing her breasts against his chest. Her eyes closed as she lost herself to the sensations of being close to him, savoring the kiss as it gradually escalated to him taking control from her.
When Lucky’s hands went to her hips, settling her more firmly on his lap, she felt the bulge of his cock against her butt. It didn’t frighten her as she expected; instead, she unconsciously wiggled on his lap as a feeling of wetness dampened her panties.
His hand went to her thigh under the thin, rose-colored dress. She pressed her breasts harder against his chest, enjoying the pressure against their sensitivity. Her hand went to his shirt, unbuttoning the first three buttons before sliding her hand underneath, and Lucky’s hand went higher, touching the band at the leg opening of her panties.
Willa’s hand floated over his chest in a fluttering movement, not knowing where to settle. She wanted to touch all of him. Her head fell to his shoulder as the kiss became heated from Lucky pushing her boundaries with his fingers.
She jumped when she felt his fingers on her clit for the first time, but she couldn’t prevent the whimpering moan when his finger rubbed the nub, making her wetter, his finger sliding easily against her. Her nails dug into his chest as she turned her mouth, trying to catch her breath.
“Lucky…”
“Hmmm…” His mouth went to her neck, opening her up to sensations she had never dreamed possible.
“That feels so … good…” Willa moaned, rubbing her bottom against the bulge underneath her.
Lucky moved his finger faster as she raised her head, trying to catch his mouth. He denied her, teasing her until Willa grabbed handfuls of his hair, bringing his mouth back to hers. She nipped at his lips, traced his firm jawline, and then explored his throat, biting a small piece of his flesh.
Lucky’s groan filled her with a sense of triumph because she could excite him as much as he was exciting her.
“Spread your legs wider.”
Willa mindlessly obeyed his command, letting her clenched thighs relax as they fell apart. Lucky traced the opening to her pussy, and then she began shaking as he entered her a tiny amount.
“Do you want more, siren?”
“Yes.” Willa moaned in need, the fire in her driving her insane. Her hips wanted to thrust down on the finger that was entering her with exquisite slowness.
His other hand held her still as he worked his finger into her then stopped, pulling it back to the beginning of her opening. She arched, shuddering when he thrust it back in farther than he had gone before. Her thighs splayed wider as he stroked his finger inside of her until it began to hurt. Willa tried to adjust her hips so it wouldn’t hurt as badly, but the pressure inside of her was building at the same time. She wanted to escape the pain, yet at the same time, she craved it.
Lucky eased his finger down her pussy until the pain eased, but the fire didn’t. Then he curled his finger upward at the same time a series of explosions hit her pussy, releasing a scream from her that he stifled with his mouth.
Afterward, she lay shuddering against his chest as she wiped the tears from her face on his shirt.
“Willa? Do you want to stay a virgin until our wedding night?”
She thought it over carefully before nodding against his chest.
“Then I suggest you get your pretty ass up before I fuck you on this chair with your legs wrapped around my waist.”
Willa got up so fast she almost tripped, straightening her dress back down her legs. Lucky winced when he stood up, adjusting his pants to a more comfortable position, and she turned bright red when he looked up and caught her staring.
“Did that answer your question?”
“My question?” Bewildered, Willa stared at him.
“On whether or not I can satisfy you.”
Her face flamed angrily as she went to his desk to pick up her purse. Lucky followed nonchalantly behind her, retaking the chair behind his desk and pulling his schedule toward him.
“That was an excellent start. Since we’re getting married in two weeks, I think we should have three sessions a week until we’re married.”
Willa’s mouth dropped open.
“You do want to continue with our pre-marital sessions, don’t you?”
Willa shook her head. “I think we’re good.” She started backing away toward his office door.
“Are you sure? I have an hour free Friday morning,” Lucky taunted smugly.
“I’m sure.” Willa gritted her teeth. Just once, she wanted to shut the arrogant pastor up.
“Willa, aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What?” She looked down at the purse in her hand.
“My good-bye kiss.”
“Are you for real?” She stormed back across the room, bending down to place a hard kiss against his lips, then charged back to the door, slinging it open and nearly running into the Wests.
“Excuse me.” Willa forced a smile to her lips. She hadn’t liked the snooty couple before she had almost lost custody of the children, and she disliked them even more now.
“Good afternoon, Willa,” Lisa greeted her, moving to the side to let her husband enter.
“Lisa, Dalton, I was just leaving.”
“No rush. Congratulations on becoming engaged again.” Her eyes flicked down over her simple flower dress then traveled up to her hair. “I see you’ve changed your hair color again.” She gave a tinkling, fake laugh that was like nails grating a chalkboard. “You have a hard time picking colors, don’t you? The next time you go to a hair appointment, I could go with you.” Lisa patted her gleaming black locks. “I have some color swabs from when I decorated. I could bring them over and lay them on top of your boxes. I think a pretty shade of aqua would pop.”
Willa brushed past them.
�
�Or a light shade of pink. You know, the shade they usually paint piggy banks.”
“Bitch,” Willa muttered.
“What did you say?” Lisa’s eyes widened, while her husband began to look angry. Willa refused to look at Lucky to see his reaction.
“I said watch. Lucky’s carpet is bunched up. I wouldn’t want you to trip,” Willa said, practically running outside, her steps loud on the gleaming, hardwood floor.
She floored her van as she drove home, pummeling her steering wheel in fury. Slamming the car in park, she went to her door, almost breaking the key off in the lock.
She still hadn’t calmed down thirty minutes later when her doorbell rang.
“Hello, Willa. How are you this afternoon?”
“Hi, Douglas. I’m fine. You?”
“Good.” His smile slipped a notch when he saw her puffy eyes and the tissues in her hand.
Willa opened the door, taking a step back for him to enter.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” she asked, her bottom lip wobbling.
“No!” Douglas cleared his throat, lowering his voice. “I just stopped by to see if you still wanted me to build that deck for you. The weather is finally getting dry enough to work outside.”
“Yes. Even if I don’t live here, it will add value to the house.”
“You’re moving away? You shouldn’t let a break-up run you out of Treepoint.”
“What?” Willa gave a smothered sob. “I’m not leaving Treepoint. Lucky and I are engaged again. I was talking about the fact that we haven’t decided yet if we’ll be living in my house or the church.”
“That’s good news, isn’t it?” he asked when her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
“I went ahead and made the invoice.” Douglas was reaching behind his back when her cell phone rang.
“Excuse me.”
“This will only take a min—”
Willa turned her back on Douglas, reaching for her cell phone on the entry table.
“Hello? Knox?”
“Willa, have you seen Sissy?”
“No, I haven’t seen her since this morning in Jamestown. I thought Killyama was taking her back to Texas.”
“She snuck off the plane before it could take off.”
