“I know, I know. If it was just you, you’d stay far away from me and my hot body.”
A giggle slips from my lips. “True story.”
“I’m happy to help, and not just with this. Let me help you out at your dad’s. I was really hands-on when I built mine, and I’m not without skills.”
I stomach flips. “So you keep reminding me.”
Tension, heat, and awareness pulse between us as our gazes tangle.
“Do you have a hairdryer?”
I jump at the sound of the unfamiliar female voice and turn to see Meredith standing in the kitchen in a terry cloth robe, her wet hair falling around her shoulders as she towels it dry.
“Sorry.” She wrinkles her nose and draws her shoulders around her ears. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Will pushes away from the table and stands. “Cally, you’ve met Meredith. She owns Venus Salon.”
I force a shaky smile. What did Will tell me about their relationship? They’re “friends”? Friends who shower together? I nod at her. “Meredith.”
“Good to see you, Cally.” Her smile lights up her whole face, and if I hadn’t been there, I’d never believe this is the same woman who told me she’d rather have her company wither and die than let me work for her.
Will shoves his hands into his pockets but he looks perfectly at ease with both of us standing in his kitchen at the same time. Perfectly at ease about the fact that she’s way too close to him for my peace of mind. “There’s a hair dryer under the sink in the guest bathroom.”
“Great! Thanks!”
I wait until she leaves before speaking. Even then, I’m sure to choose my words carefully. I don’t want to sound jealous or spiteful. I might feel both, but I have no right to. “Maybe the girls and I should just stay in the apartment after all.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re kidding me, right? You really think your girlfriend is going to want your ex and her little sisters living with you? And Jesus, how long have you been seeing her anyway? Does she know only a month ago you were feeling me up in public?” The words spill out of me before I can stop them. So much for choosing them carefully.
Will’s lips curl into a grin and he slowly closes the distance between us until I have to lift my chin to meet his eyes. “You’re jealous?”
I shift and my br**sts brush his shirt. “Of course not.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
“Meredith is a friend. We went running together this morning and I let her use my shower because her hot water heater broke.”
“How convenient.” I lift my chin. God, I can feel his heat. “She wants you. And I bet money she didn’t need help finding the hair dryer. She just wanted me to know she was here. Naked. She wanted me to be jealous.” I sound like a child throwing an irrational tantrum and I can’t help myself.
“Hmm.” His eyes drop to my lips. “Well, now you know.”
“I’m not saying you can’t date her. I mean, date who you want. It’s none of my business. I just want to know what I’m walking into if I move in here for a few days.”
“No, you’re right.” He toys with the ponytail at the base of my neck and tugs lightly, drawing me closer until I’m pressed against him and his eyes are on my mouth. Until I. Want. More. “She was totally trying to make you jealous. You should definitely get even by making out with me.”
Just like that, all the tension knotting between my shoulder blades releases and laughter bursts from my lips. “You jerk.” I put my hands to his chest and shove him back a step. “Don’t make fun of me.”
He shakes his head and runs his eyes over me. “I would never joke about something so serious.”
“OH. EM. Gee.” Drew’s eyes go big as she walks into my house. “This is what I’m talking about. Cally, you’ve been holding out on us. Making us live in that shithole while your boy here can give us the Ritz?”
She steps into the two-story entryway and spins a little circle, and I am so damn glad I convinced Cally to bring them here. I invited her father to stay as well, but he’s not as sensitive to rodents as his daughters, and he said he wouldn’t be comfortable taking advantage of my hospitality. Not the case for Cally’s little sisters. Drew is looking around with the wide eyes of a child on Christmas, and Gabby’s grin stretches from ear to ear.
“I’m glad you like it,” Cally says to Drew, “but we’re not staying long.”
“Like it? You know, I think I was born to be rich. There’s a pampered princess somewhere who really wishes she could live in that rat-infested cabin of Dad’s and right now she’s enduring her evening pedicure and facial. I was switched at birth.”
“Hush,” Cally says. “Your life is not that terrible. Will, do you want to show us where the girls will be sleeping? I’ll bring in their suitcases.”
Cally and the girls follow me upstairs, and I show Drew and Gabby the room they’ll be sharing. The house has four bedrooms but one is set up with all my camera equipment and computers, so it’s not fit for company.
“Your sister will in the room just down the hall if you need her.”
“Not to be ungrateful or anything,” Drew says, “but let’s simplify things and put me in her room from the start. We all know Cally’s going to end up in your bed anyway.”
Cally’s cheeks flame red. “Drew!”
“She’s welcome there anytime,” I say, “but we’ll let her make that choice, okay?”
Drew just looks back and forth between us for a minute before shaking her head. “I don’t get you two.”
Cally avoids my gaze and studies the hardwood floor at her toes. “That makes two of us.”
After we get the girls settled into their room, I show Cally to hers. “I apologize if the bed’s not very comfortable. It’s my old bed from Grandma’s.”
Something flashes in her eyes. Memories of what we used to do in that bed? Regrets about what we never did? “It has to be better than that couch I’m sleeping on.” She rubs her forearm then digs her thumb into the palm of her hand.
“Are you hurt?”
She drops her hands to her sides as if she hadn’t realized what she was doing. “I’m just sore from giving so many massages today. Sometimes my hands want to lock up at the end of the day.” She shrugs. “It’s normal when I’m putting in this many hours.”
I take her hand and start working my thumbs into the muscles of her forearm, starting near her elbow and massaging my way down to the palm of her hand. As I apply pressure to the pad of her thumb, her eyes flutter closed. A low, barely audible moan slips from her lips.
Evening sun slants in the back window, spilling light across her face. She’s so damn beautiful. The thick smear of her dark lashes across her cheek, the sweet curve of her lips. I could kiss her now. I could pull her close and put my lips on hers, slide my hands down her sides and curl my fingers into her h*ps as I seduce her with my mouth.
I could do all that. I want all that. But I want her near me more, and I know kissing her will scare her away.
“Cally.”
Her lids flutter open and she blinks at me. We stand like that, staring at each other in the warmth of the evening sun, two people reorienting themselves after getting lost in a moment.
“Oh, God!” Drew’s irritated tone snaps us both to attention. “Seriously, just give me this room and move her downstairs with you.”
Brady’s. Beer. Pool. Girl time. Tonight.
Grinning at Lizzy’s text, I drop the paintbrush I was using on the front door and tap out a quick reply: You have something against complete sentences, Miss Teacher?
Bite me. <-- Complete sentence.
Minutes later, her cherry red Charger pulls into Dad’s gravel drive, saving me from contemplating the painfully long list of repairs that need to be done to the house. Drew might not need the glam she says she wants, but even so, a couple of gallons of paint aren’t going to cut it. While working here today, I realized the roof is leaking, causing God knows what kind of damage in the attic. Then when I was out on the back deck, I noticed a rotten board cracked under one of the girl’s camping chairs. The place is a hazard and a money pit. At minimum, he needs a new stove, a new deck, and a new roof. None of those things come cheap.
Lizzy and Hanna climb out and survey the house.
“Ouch,” Lizzy says, wincing. “Is that place…sanitary?”
“It’s not that bad,” Hanna attempts. “Maybe with some fresh paint?”
“It needs more than paint,” I mutter.
“How’s your dad’s job search going?” Hanna asks. “Any luck?”
“He managed to find a part-time research position working for a faculty member at Sinclair.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Hanna says.
He needs something more, but I don’t share any of that with my friends. They’re worried enough about me without me piling it on.
Lizzy spins on me. “I can’t believe you moved in with William and didn’t tell us.”
I shuffle back. “I didn’t realize I needed to keep you updated.”
“Save it for the margaritas,” Hanna tells her sister. “Some conversations require tequila.”
The bar is more crowded than I expected for a Wednesday night, but that makes the girls happy. I objected to the possibility of more tequila, so they’ve ordered us a pitcher of beer and staked out a booth by the pool tables, where they’re scoping out the unsuspecting townies.
“Are you following me?” The question comes from right by my ear, and I have to resist the urge to lean into William.
“We got here first,” I say. He brushes the hair off my neck, and I stand stock still and attempt to pretend I’m not affected by his touch. “I think that means you’re following me.”
The girls’ eyes widen at the sight of Will.
“I see you brought your posse,” Lizzy says, looking over Will’s shoulder.
Will smirks. “I think you’ve already met my friends Sam and Max.”
I was so focused on William, I didn’t even realize he wasn’t here alone. The guys slide out of a booth on the other side of the bar and join our little meet-and-greet. I recognize them from high school. Like Will, time has been good to them. They’re both ridiculously handsome. The dark-haired one is in jeans and a fitted blue T-shirt that calls attention equally to impressive pecs and an amazing pair of baby blues. The other sports a dark polo and khakis. But neither of them is anywhere near the level of nuclear hotness that is my William is in a button-up white Oxford, sleeves rolled to his elbows, jeans hugging his narrow hips.
My William. Dangerous thinking.
“I don’t know if you remember Sam,” Will says, nodding to the one in the polo. He points his thumb toward the dark-haired one. “Or Max.”
“It’s been a while,” I say.
“Good to see you again, Cally,” Sam says, making me drag my eyes off Will. “How’s your temporary roommate treating you? He doesn’t drink out of the milk carton, does he?”
“He’s a great host, and it’s very temporary.”
“Go finish your drinks.” Lizzy shoos them toward their table. “We need some time for girl talk.”
The girls slide into our booth, and Hanna sighs heavily.
“What’s that about?” I ask.
She tucks a long, dark lock behind her ear and shakes her head.
“She’s got a crush on Max,” Lizzy explains. Hanna jabs her elbow into Lizzy’s side, but Lizzy ignores her. “Can’t say as I blame her. You could bounce quarters off the boy’s ass.”
“He has no idea I exist,” Hanna mutters. “He’s only had eyes for Lizzy since he came back to town and opened that gym.”
Lizzy frowns. “I never would have gone on that date with him if I’d known Hanna liked him. I dropped him the minute I found out.”
“Does he know how you feel?” I ask. Hanna looks nauseated just talking about it.
“God, no!” Lizzy snorts. “Are you kidding? Hanna doesn’t tell guys when she’s interested. She’d rather hide and tell herself she doesn’t stand a chance. Which is stupid and a lie.”
Hanna shakes her head. “What would he want to do with me anyway? He’s an athletic trainer who runs his own health club, and I’m a fat girl.”
“Hanna!” Lizzy and I say in unison. Hanna is bigger than her twin, plush and curvy with long dark hair, whereas Lizzy is tiny and lithe with blond curls. They look nothing like twins, but they’re both equally beautiful.
Hanna shrugs off our protest. “It’s true.”
“You’re f**king gorgeous and any guy would be lucky to have you.” Lizzy’s face is drawn into a fierce scowl, daring Hanna to disagree.
“Time to change the subject, please,” Hanna whispers into her beer.
Lizzy presses a kiss to her sister’s forehead then turns to me. “Half the town is buzzing about you moving in with Will. I’m sure we had to find out from our mom. Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Maybe there was nothing to tell?” The girls both stare at me like I’m trying to sell them land on the moon. I shrug. “What?”
“Sweetie,” Hanna says, “there is so much heat in that boy’s eyes when he looks at you, we can still smell the smoke. And now you’re living with him?”
A giggle slips from my lips. “True story.”
“I’m happy to help, and not just with this. Let me help you out at your dad’s. I was really hands-on when I built mine, and I’m not without skills.”
I stomach flips. “So you keep reminding me.”
Tension, heat, and awareness pulse between us as our gazes tangle.
“Do you have a hairdryer?”
I jump at the sound of the unfamiliar female voice and turn to see Meredith standing in the kitchen in a terry cloth robe, her wet hair falling around her shoulders as she towels it dry.
“Sorry.” She wrinkles her nose and draws her shoulders around her ears. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Will pushes away from the table and stands. “Cally, you’ve met Meredith. She owns Venus Salon.”
I force a shaky smile. What did Will tell me about their relationship? They’re “friends”? Friends who shower together? I nod at her. “Meredith.”
“Good to see you, Cally.” Her smile lights up her whole face, and if I hadn’t been there, I’d never believe this is the same woman who told me she’d rather have her company wither and die than let me work for her.
Will shoves his hands into his pockets but he looks perfectly at ease with both of us standing in his kitchen at the same time. Perfectly at ease about the fact that she’s way too close to him for my peace of mind. “There’s a hair dryer under the sink in the guest bathroom.”
“Great! Thanks!”
I wait until she leaves before speaking. Even then, I’m sure to choose my words carefully. I don’t want to sound jealous or spiteful. I might feel both, but I have no right to. “Maybe the girls and I should just stay in the apartment after all.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re kidding me, right? You really think your girlfriend is going to want your ex and her little sisters living with you? And Jesus, how long have you been seeing her anyway? Does she know only a month ago you were feeling me up in public?” The words spill out of me before I can stop them. So much for choosing them carefully.
Will’s lips curl into a grin and he slowly closes the distance between us until I have to lift my chin to meet his eyes. “You’re jealous?”
I shift and my br**sts brush his shirt. “Of course not.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
“Meredith is a friend. We went running together this morning and I let her use my shower because her hot water heater broke.”
“How convenient.” I lift my chin. God, I can feel his heat. “She wants you. And I bet money she didn’t need help finding the hair dryer. She just wanted me to know she was here. Naked. She wanted me to be jealous.” I sound like a child throwing an irrational tantrum and I can’t help myself.
“Hmm.” His eyes drop to my lips. “Well, now you know.”
“I’m not saying you can’t date her. I mean, date who you want. It’s none of my business. I just want to know what I’m walking into if I move in here for a few days.”
“No, you’re right.” He toys with the ponytail at the base of my neck and tugs lightly, drawing me closer until I’m pressed against him and his eyes are on my mouth. Until I. Want. More. “She was totally trying to make you jealous. You should definitely get even by making out with me.”
Just like that, all the tension knotting between my shoulder blades releases and laughter bursts from my lips. “You jerk.” I put my hands to his chest and shove him back a step. “Don’t make fun of me.”
He shakes his head and runs his eyes over me. “I would never joke about something so serious.”
“OH. EM. Gee.” Drew’s eyes go big as she walks into my house. “This is what I’m talking about. Cally, you’ve been holding out on us. Making us live in that shithole while your boy here can give us the Ritz?”
She steps into the two-story entryway and spins a little circle, and I am so damn glad I convinced Cally to bring them here. I invited her father to stay as well, but he’s not as sensitive to rodents as his daughters, and he said he wouldn’t be comfortable taking advantage of my hospitality. Not the case for Cally’s little sisters. Drew is looking around with the wide eyes of a child on Christmas, and Gabby’s grin stretches from ear to ear.
“I’m glad you like it,” Cally says to Drew, “but we’re not staying long.”
“Like it? You know, I think I was born to be rich. There’s a pampered princess somewhere who really wishes she could live in that rat-infested cabin of Dad’s and right now she’s enduring her evening pedicure and facial. I was switched at birth.”
“Hush,” Cally says. “Your life is not that terrible. Will, do you want to show us where the girls will be sleeping? I’ll bring in their suitcases.”
Cally and the girls follow me upstairs, and I show Drew and Gabby the room they’ll be sharing. The house has four bedrooms but one is set up with all my camera equipment and computers, so it’s not fit for company.
“Your sister will in the room just down the hall if you need her.”
“Not to be ungrateful or anything,” Drew says, “but let’s simplify things and put me in her room from the start. We all know Cally’s going to end up in your bed anyway.”
Cally’s cheeks flame red. “Drew!”
“She’s welcome there anytime,” I say, “but we’ll let her make that choice, okay?”
Drew just looks back and forth between us for a minute before shaking her head. “I don’t get you two.”
Cally avoids my gaze and studies the hardwood floor at her toes. “That makes two of us.”
After we get the girls settled into their room, I show Cally to hers. “I apologize if the bed’s not very comfortable. It’s my old bed from Grandma’s.”
Something flashes in her eyes. Memories of what we used to do in that bed? Regrets about what we never did? “It has to be better than that couch I’m sleeping on.” She rubs her forearm then digs her thumb into the palm of her hand.
“Are you hurt?”
She drops her hands to her sides as if she hadn’t realized what she was doing. “I’m just sore from giving so many massages today. Sometimes my hands want to lock up at the end of the day.” She shrugs. “It’s normal when I’m putting in this many hours.”
I take her hand and start working my thumbs into the muscles of her forearm, starting near her elbow and massaging my way down to the palm of her hand. As I apply pressure to the pad of her thumb, her eyes flutter closed. A low, barely audible moan slips from her lips.
Evening sun slants in the back window, spilling light across her face. She’s so damn beautiful. The thick smear of her dark lashes across her cheek, the sweet curve of her lips. I could kiss her now. I could pull her close and put my lips on hers, slide my hands down her sides and curl my fingers into her h*ps as I seduce her with my mouth.
I could do all that. I want all that. But I want her near me more, and I know kissing her will scare her away.
“Cally.”
Her lids flutter open and she blinks at me. We stand like that, staring at each other in the warmth of the evening sun, two people reorienting themselves after getting lost in a moment.
“Oh, God!” Drew’s irritated tone snaps us both to attention. “Seriously, just give me this room and move her downstairs with you.”
Brady’s. Beer. Pool. Girl time. Tonight.
Grinning at Lizzy’s text, I drop the paintbrush I was using on the front door and tap out a quick reply: You have something against complete sentences, Miss Teacher?
Bite me. <-- Complete sentence.
Minutes later, her cherry red Charger pulls into Dad’s gravel drive, saving me from contemplating the painfully long list of repairs that need to be done to the house. Drew might not need the glam she says she wants, but even so, a couple of gallons of paint aren’t going to cut it. While working here today, I realized the roof is leaking, causing God knows what kind of damage in the attic. Then when I was out on the back deck, I noticed a rotten board cracked under one of the girl’s camping chairs. The place is a hazard and a money pit. At minimum, he needs a new stove, a new deck, and a new roof. None of those things come cheap.
Lizzy and Hanna climb out and survey the house.
“Ouch,” Lizzy says, wincing. “Is that place…sanitary?”
“It’s not that bad,” Hanna attempts. “Maybe with some fresh paint?”
“It needs more than paint,” I mutter.
“How’s your dad’s job search going?” Hanna asks. “Any luck?”
“He managed to find a part-time research position working for a faculty member at Sinclair.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Hanna says.
He needs something more, but I don’t share any of that with my friends. They’re worried enough about me without me piling it on.
Lizzy spins on me. “I can’t believe you moved in with William and didn’t tell us.”
I shuffle back. “I didn’t realize I needed to keep you updated.”
“Save it for the margaritas,” Hanna tells her sister. “Some conversations require tequila.”
The bar is more crowded than I expected for a Wednesday night, but that makes the girls happy. I objected to the possibility of more tequila, so they’ve ordered us a pitcher of beer and staked out a booth by the pool tables, where they’re scoping out the unsuspecting townies.
“Are you following me?” The question comes from right by my ear, and I have to resist the urge to lean into William.
“We got here first,” I say. He brushes the hair off my neck, and I stand stock still and attempt to pretend I’m not affected by his touch. “I think that means you’re following me.”
The girls’ eyes widen at the sight of Will.
“I see you brought your posse,” Lizzy says, looking over Will’s shoulder.
Will smirks. “I think you’ve already met my friends Sam and Max.”
I was so focused on William, I didn’t even realize he wasn’t here alone. The guys slide out of a booth on the other side of the bar and join our little meet-and-greet. I recognize them from high school. Like Will, time has been good to them. They’re both ridiculously handsome. The dark-haired one is in jeans and a fitted blue T-shirt that calls attention equally to impressive pecs and an amazing pair of baby blues. The other sports a dark polo and khakis. But neither of them is anywhere near the level of nuclear hotness that is my William is in a button-up white Oxford, sleeves rolled to his elbows, jeans hugging his narrow hips.
My William. Dangerous thinking.
“I don’t know if you remember Sam,” Will says, nodding to the one in the polo. He points his thumb toward the dark-haired one. “Or Max.”
“It’s been a while,” I say.
“Good to see you again, Cally,” Sam says, making me drag my eyes off Will. “How’s your temporary roommate treating you? He doesn’t drink out of the milk carton, does he?”
“He’s a great host, and it’s very temporary.”
“Go finish your drinks.” Lizzy shoos them toward their table. “We need some time for girl talk.”
The girls slide into our booth, and Hanna sighs heavily.
“What’s that about?” I ask.
She tucks a long, dark lock behind her ear and shakes her head.
“She’s got a crush on Max,” Lizzy explains. Hanna jabs her elbow into Lizzy’s side, but Lizzy ignores her. “Can’t say as I blame her. You could bounce quarters off the boy’s ass.”
“He has no idea I exist,” Hanna mutters. “He’s only had eyes for Lizzy since he came back to town and opened that gym.”
Lizzy frowns. “I never would have gone on that date with him if I’d known Hanna liked him. I dropped him the minute I found out.”
“Does he know how you feel?” I ask. Hanna looks nauseated just talking about it.
“God, no!” Lizzy snorts. “Are you kidding? Hanna doesn’t tell guys when she’s interested. She’d rather hide and tell herself she doesn’t stand a chance. Which is stupid and a lie.”
Hanna shakes her head. “What would he want to do with me anyway? He’s an athletic trainer who runs his own health club, and I’m a fat girl.”
“Hanna!” Lizzy and I say in unison. Hanna is bigger than her twin, plush and curvy with long dark hair, whereas Lizzy is tiny and lithe with blond curls. They look nothing like twins, but they’re both equally beautiful.
Hanna shrugs off our protest. “It’s true.”
“You’re f**king gorgeous and any guy would be lucky to have you.” Lizzy’s face is drawn into a fierce scowl, daring Hanna to disagree.
“Time to change the subject, please,” Hanna whispers into her beer.
Lizzy presses a kiss to her sister’s forehead then turns to me. “Half the town is buzzing about you moving in with Will. I’m sure we had to find out from our mom. Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Maybe there was nothing to tell?” The girls both stare at me like I’m trying to sell them land on the moon. I shrug. “What?”
“Sweetie,” Hanna says, “there is so much heat in that boy’s eyes when he looks at you, we can still smell the smoke. And now you’re living with him?”
