He chuckled. “Luke called me to bitch about that. Apparently, the guy was irate. The bank almost called the cops on him.”
I shook my head. “You guys behave like children. Why do you hate Luke so much?”
Will made a face. “I don’t hate him. I just think he’s an arrogant bastard. Telling me to stay away from you, like I’m a toxic person.”
We finally had the bed and breakfast in sight. “I think he’s angry with you because your dad tried to sell the shares in his trust.”
He wheeled around. “What?”
My heart jumped. “Didn’t you know that? Luke is suing your dad.”
“Holy shit,” he moaned. “I can’t believe he’d do that.”
I could see Will’s mind boiling with what I said the whole day. We finally found the bed and breakfast, which was owned by a cheery man with an affinity for country music.
Designing the logo for the Bath location was easy; the Roman baths were the main attraction and it was easy to draw a quick sketch of the yellow pillars and the green, bubbling pool. Below the room, I heard Will grilling the owner about his profits. I heard his heavy footsteps climbing the stairs and I braced for the moment when he would burst inside the room.
He had a habit of violently opening doors and scaring me to death. Sure enough, seconds later, the door swung open and nearly banged the opposite wall. He scowled when he realized there was no bathroom attached to the room. And there was still only one queen bed.
“We can share the bed. It’s no big deal.”
Will removed his jacket, watching me carefully as if I was up to something, but he was too tired to argue. Both of us were exhausted from walking to and from the Roman baths and exploring the abbey.
My hands were feeling a bit stiff and I swiveled in the chair, wringing my fingers.
“Take a break for God’s sake. Watching you work is exhausting.”
I set the stylus down and sighed, leaning into the chair. My eyes widened when Will took the hem of his white t-shirt and lifted it over his head. It was like being injected with adrenaline. Suddenly, I felt much more awake.
“What are you doing?” Shut up, idiot! Let him take his clothes off!
“I’m just getting ready for bed. You don’t have to stare, you know.”
I was unable to look away. Under his t-shirt was a carved abdomen. His defined chest and shoulders made my mouth water. My eyes raked up and down, taking note of the small dark patch of hair on his chest and the faint line dipping below his belly button. He caught me staring at him and smiled. “Like what you see?”
Of course, I do and you know it.
Then he yanked his jeans down and my breath caught in my throat. “Jesus.”
A pair of tight, black briefs hugged his ass. I wanted to bump against him and run my hands all over him, but he merely slid into the bed and closed his eyes, smiling slightly.
Now what? Do I join him? He said he had no interest in me, but he kissed me.
I already wore my pajamas, which were just a loose t-shirt and flannel pants, with no bra. I walked to the bed, cursing the loud noise of my feet creaking the wood floorboards. Peeling back the comforter, I got a nice view of his body and simultaneously felt like a pervert. I slid inside and joined his warmth, shaking with nerves.
But Will showed no sign that he was aware that I was in bed with him. His eyes remained closed. God, I felt like a complete idiot. Will wasn’t interested in me. I was only setting myself up to be rejected. Again.
I turned away from him and listened to the sound of him breathing and his legs moving under the sheets. How strange it is to be in bed with someone I’m not sure I’m allowed to touch.
There was another movement under the sheets and I felt the pad of one finger running a line down my neck, over my shoulder and body, over my bony hip. His other fingers joined to stroke my upper thigh.
Heart racing, I turned into his body. His heat spilled all over me and he kept his hand anchored on my hip. His eyes opened, revealing red-rimmed exhaustion, and yet his gaze was rigid.
There was a strand of black hair in his eye and I reached for it with my fingers to push it behind his ear.
“You surprised me today. I thought you had no sense of humor.”
“I thought you were a bastard.”
He grinned and squeezed my hip. “And now?”
“You’re still one.”
I sought his pouting, bottom lip and sucked it into my mouth. He sighed, and I ran my hands down his neck to stroke the broad muscles of his chest, stopping here and there to squeeze. His hands slipped under my shirt and slid up my back. He moaned when he realized that I wasn’t wearing a bra.
We both gasped when his thumbs slid around, stroking the sides of my breasts. My nipples hardened under my t-shirt and he slid his fingers around, teasing the sensitive flesh. Then his hot hands outright groped my breasts and I kissed him harder, burying him in the bed. He seized the two hard nubs and pinched them between his thumb and forefinger. Our lips finally parted and both of us breathed as though we ran a marathon.
I sat up and lifted the shirt from my head, fixing Will with a smoldering look.
“Jesus.”
Smiling, I lay on top of him and relished the contact of his naked chest. I could hear his breath thick with desire, going mad with my half-naked body on top of him.
He gave me a pained look. “No, I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”
But even as he said it, his arms refused to let me go. My back shivered as he ran his hands down and gently squeezed my ass. “Why not?”
“Because if we keep going, I’m going to fuck you.”
“So?”
He gave me a half-frustrated, half-smoldering look. “I don’t want to be a one-night stand.”
“What are you talking about?”
His fingers weaved through my hair and pulled slightly. “And when I’m with someone, I want them to be thinking of me and only me.”
I was lost.
“You’re not over your ex yet. I like you, Natalie. I like you more than you probably realize, but I want a real chance with you.”
Something hot shot up my legs when he said that. I looked at his heavy-lidded eyes, his slightly flushed, hollow cheeks and the downy black hair and I couldn’t understand why the hell he thought I pined over Ben while I was in bed with him.
“That’s a really sweet thing to say.”
His smile widened. “I know. Now, kiss me.”
I sank to my elbows and grabbed his hair, kissing him harder than I’d kissed anyone in my life. His mouth was soft against mine, barely able to keep up. I played with his ears, running my fingers over them lightly because I knew that it would drive him crazy. He suddenly got up on his elbows and flipped me onto my back. Will groaned as he sat back, admiring the view of my body. His erection dug into my hip and I felt a leap of excitement.
I shook my head. “You guys behave like children. Why do you hate Luke so much?”
Will made a face. “I don’t hate him. I just think he’s an arrogant bastard. Telling me to stay away from you, like I’m a toxic person.”
We finally had the bed and breakfast in sight. “I think he’s angry with you because your dad tried to sell the shares in his trust.”
He wheeled around. “What?”
My heart jumped. “Didn’t you know that? Luke is suing your dad.”
“Holy shit,” he moaned. “I can’t believe he’d do that.”
I could see Will’s mind boiling with what I said the whole day. We finally found the bed and breakfast, which was owned by a cheery man with an affinity for country music.
Designing the logo for the Bath location was easy; the Roman baths were the main attraction and it was easy to draw a quick sketch of the yellow pillars and the green, bubbling pool. Below the room, I heard Will grilling the owner about his profits. I heard his heavy footsteps climbing the stairs and I braced for the moment when he would burst inside the room.
He had a habit of violently opening doors and scaring me to death. Sure enough, seconds later, the door swung open and nearly banged the opposite wall. He scowled when he realized there was no bathroom attached to the room. And there was still only one queen bed.
“We can share the bed. It’s no big deal.”
Will removed his jacket, watching me carefully as if I was up to something, but he was too tired to argue. Both of us were exhausted from walking to and from the Roman baths and exploring the abbey.
My hands were feeling a bit stiff and I swiveled in the chair, wringing my fingers.
“Take a break for God’s sake. Watching you work is exhausting.”
I set the stylus down and sighed, leaning into the chair. My eyes widened when Will took the hem of his white t-shirt and lifted it over his head. It was like being injected with adrenaline. Suddenly, I felt much more awake.
“What are you doing?” Shut up, idiot! Let him take his clothes off!
“I’m just getting ready for bed. You don’t have to stare, you know.”
I was unable to look away. Under his t-shirt was a carved abdomen. His defined chest and shoulders made my mouth water. My eyes raked up and down, taking note of the small dark patch of hair on his chest and the faint line dipping below his belly button. He caught me staring at him and smiled. “Like what you see?”
Of course, I do and you know it.
Then he yanked his jeans down and my breath caught in my throat. “Jesus.”
A pair of tight, black briefs hugged his ass. I wanted to bump against him and run my hands all over him, but he merely slid into the bed and closed his eyes, smiling slightly.
Now what? Do I join him? He said he had no interest in me, but he kissed me.
I already wore my pajamas, which were just a loose t-shirt and flannel pants, with no bra. I walked to the bed, cursing the loud noise of my feet creaking the wood floorboards. Peeling back the comforter, I got a nice view of his body and simultaneously felt like a pervert. I slid inside and joined his warmth, shaking with nerves.
But Will showed no sign that he was aware that I was in bed with him. His eyes remained closed. God, I felt like a complete idiot. Will wasn’t interested in me. I was only setting myself up to be rejected. Again.
I turned away from him and listened to the sound of him breathing and his legs moving under the sheets. How strange it is to be in bed with someone I’m not sure I’m allowed to touch.
There was another movement under the sheets and I felt the pad of one finger running a line down my neck, over my shoulder and body, over my bony hip. His other fingers joined to stroke my upper thigh.
Heart racing, I turned into his body. His heat spilled all over me and he kept his hand anchored on my hip. His eyes opened, revealing red-rimmed exhaustion, and yet his gaze was rigid.
There was a strand of black hair in his eye and I reached for it with my fingers to push it behind his ear.
“You surprised me today. I thought you had no sense of humor.”
“I thought you were a bastard.”
He grinned and squeezed my hip. “And now?”
“You’re still one.”
I sought his pouting, bottom lip and sucked it into my mouth. He sighed, and I ran my hands down his neck to stroke the broad muscles of his chest, stopping here and there to squeeze. His hands slipped under my shirt and slid up my back. He moaned when he realized that I wasn’t wearing a bra.
We both gasped when his thumbs slid around, stroking the sides of my breasts. My nipples hardened under my t-shirt and he slid his fingers around, teasing the sensitive flesh. Then his hot hands outright groped my breasts and I kissed him harder, burying him in the bed. He seized the two hard nubs and pinched them between his thumb and forefinger. Our lips finally parted and both of us breathed as though we ran a marathon.
I sat up and lifted the shirt from my head, fixing Will with a smoldering look.
“Jesus.”
Smiling, I lay on top of him and relished the contact of his naked chest. I could hear his breath thick with desire, going mad with my half-naked body on top of him.
He gave me a pained look. “No, I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”
But even as he said it, his arms refused to let me go. My back shivered as he ran his hands down and gently squeezed my ass. “Why not?”
“Because if we keep going, I’m going to fuck you.”
“So?”
He gave me a half-frustrated, half-smoldering look. “I don’t want to be a one-night stand.”
“What are you talking about?”
His fingers weaved through my hair and pulled slightly. “And when I’m with someone, I want them to be thinking of me and only me.”
I was lost.
“You’re not over your ex yet. I like you, Natalie. I like you more than you probably realize, but I want a real chance with you.”
Something hot shot up my legs when he said that. I looked at his heavy-lidded eyes, his slightly flushed, hollow cheeks and the downy black hair and I couldn’t understand why the hell he thought I pined over Ben while I was in bed with him.
“That’s a really sweet thing to say.”
His smile widened. “I know. Now, kiss me.”
I sank to my elbows and grabbed his hair, kissing him harder than I’d kissed anyone in my life. His mouth was soft against mine, barely able to keep up. I played with his ears, running my fingers over them lightly because I knew that it would drive him crazy. He suddenly got up on his elbows and flipped me onto my back. Will groaned as he sat back, admiring the view of my body. His erection dug into my hip and I felt a leap of excitement.
