Eight
Cocktail parties, get-togethers, and social engagements were part of the job in Will’s family. Sometimes they attended as a whole group, sometimes a couple of them, depending on the event and the guests. Will wasn’t thrilled to admit he was the unofficial “face” of Grand Babies. He’d argued that it didn’t seem right for the finance guy to be the face guy. But he was single, not in school, the same age as many of the people attending. He’d lost that battle.
Which was usually okay because he didn’t have a ton of hobbies. He worked, liked to read, swim, and watch sports or reality television. Having to socialize a bit got him out of the house. As long as his mother didn’t pull her matchmaker card, which she’d done more than once, he was good with things as they were. But this evening hadn’t been like any of those show your face, shake some hands events. Tonight was a fucking blast.
Lexi was funny and thoughtful, beautiful and humble. Smart and a little sheltered, like she’d kept the world at bay. She didn’t spend most of her day on social media; she hadn’t immediately asked him to follow her on any platforms. Though she tried to guard her expressions and responses, her eyes spoke like pages of beautiful literature. She was amazing.
Their conversation on running got sidetracked when Jackie brought out cake and Lexi nervously declared that she never said no to cake. He’d keep that in mind. Though they chatted with others, getting caught up in a few conversations, they kept finding quiet pockets of time and space with just the two of them, and Will liked those moments best.
They’d found an area of the patio where the music was softer, the lights dimmer. He was listening to her words but also captivated by watching her mouth move. The hazy glow of the moon washed over them, adding a shimmer to her gaze.
Will was doing his very best to focus on every word she said but the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to kiss her. Touch her. Of all the things he’d expected when he sat down at the restaurant today, this was not one of them.
Will leaned in and Lexi’s speech faltered, her chest lifting with a deep inhale.
“Are you listening?” The curve of her lips hinted that she knew he’d lost the thread of their conversation.
Reaching out, he trailed his hand up her arm slowly, watching her reaction, holding her gaze to make sure she wasn’t uncomfortable. When she stepped into him, he sucked in a sharp breath, intoxicated by her perfume. Or maybe it was her body wash.
She tapped his chest with her index finger. “A good fiancé listens.”
Will let out a low laugh, his fingers trailing over her shoulder, up to the spot where her neck and shoulder met. He pushed his hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head, nearly freezing when her tongue darted out to lick her lips.
“Sometimes even the best fiancés get distracted.” He shifted closer, the music, the lights, and the people fading away.
Lexi put one hand on his hip, the other flat on his chest. He wondered if she could feel his heartbeat. It felt like his heart was trying to fist-bump her palm. Cool air rushed over his skin but he felt overheated.
“Your hair is the softest thing I’ve ever felt,” he said. Clearly his brain was short-circuiting because he wasn’t even sure if that was a compliment. It was, however, the truth. And he wanted to bury his face in it.
When she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, he almost groaned out loud. Desire hummed through him, sharp and strong, nearly knocking the breath out of him.
Glasses clinked in the background, noises filtering in the night air. Chatter, laughter, melodious music that seemed to amplify the electric energy between them.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Their mouths moved closer, barely brushing against each other like a phantom caress. Because he wanted to savor everything about her, he kept a bit of space between them. Just enough for him to speak and her to feel his words.
“When I saw you today, it was all piled on your head. Little tendrils were trying to escape. It was sexy.”
She huffed out a breath he felt everywhere. “Sure.”
His free hand moved to her cheek, his thumb stroking along her jaw. “I wondered what it felt like. What it would look like, tumbled around your shoulders.”
Lexi’s breathing turned choppy, short, sharp little bursts. “Then you thought, maybe I shouldn’t order soup?”
He laughed, aware of the way she tried to deflect compliments. He smiled, his face coming closer, his thumb stroking her cheek in a mesmerizing back-and-forth. “Maybe. But I also thought you were beautiful and focused. Determined.”
Her fingers flexed against his chest. “Clumsy.”
Will shook his head. No. He wouldn’t let her see only that. He hated that she did. She was a hell of a lot more. People milled around; he didn’t know anyone so he didn’t really care but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He started to step back, just to give her some air, but her fingers curled into his shirt, keeping him close, making him grin.
He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, enjoyed her hiss of air. She tried to turn her head to meet his lips but he pulled back, touched the tip of his nose to hers, moving up to press a kiss to her forehead.
“Not clumsy. Determined. Strong. Fucking beautiful and completely unaware of it.”
The hand in her hair slipped down her back, over the curve of her hip. He used it to pull her against his body but he had a feeling that with Lexi, close wouldn’t be enough. And that was something he could say he’d truly never felt or thought about a woman before. She dropped her forehead to his chest with a small thud.
She groaned, soft but audible. “This reminds me of what running feels like.”
He leaned back, forcing her head to leave his chest. “What? How’s that? Clearly, I’ve been doing running wrong.”
Lifting her head, she held him captive with those expressive eyes. “I’m no expert anymore but this slow burn? The buildup?”
Her fingers danced up his neck, along his nape, and he shivered. Actually fucking shivered.
The proof that she felt it was in her sultry smirk. “Your blood warms up, your muscles relax, your limbs loosen up.” She pressed herself closer. “You get in the zone. There’s nowhere else you want to be. Then it starts to get really good. Your blood starts rushing so hard you can feel your heartbeat everywhere in your body.”
Holy fuck.
“Jell-O shots,” someone behind him hollered.
He and Lexi kept staring at each other, their breath seesawing back and forth across the small distance between them.
She stepped back as more people crowded the patio. Someone came around with a platter of mini cups filled with orange and green Jell-O.
A tall redhead in sky-high heels and a body-molding black dress stopped beside them, holding out the tray. “Take one and pass it around.”
Lexi shook her head. “No thanks. Love your dress. It’s gorgeous.”
The woman smiled, met Will’s gaze. There was something familiar about her but he couldn’t place her.
“How about you, handsome?” She moved the tray closer to him.
He frowned. He was very clearly with Lexi. Sure, no one knew the dynamic between them, but it was impossible not to see the chemistry firing around their little bubble. Jesus, he could feel it.
“No. Thank you.”
“You look so familiar,” she said, tilting her head as if trying to place him. She took one of the shots, downed it, set the cup on the tray, and passed it to the next person.
Lexi stiffened even as she fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. He felt her discomfort as if it were his own.
“I must have one of those faces,” he said, hoping she’d move on to another group. Though, to be polite, they should really rejoin the party. Or you could go somewhere with just the two of you.
The woman set her gaze on Lexi, smiled. “Turn around. Let’s see who you two are.”
“I’m Michelle Obama,” Will said, hoping his voice didn’t sound rude or dismissive. He’d recycled his card.
Lexi turned around and though the redhead glanced at her back, her focus went back to Will almost immediately. The interest in her eyes made him reach out, grasp Lexi’s hand as soon as she spun around.
“Hints?” Lexi asked, squeezing his hand.
“I’m not surprised you wouldn’t have a Jell-O shot. You’re very wholesome. I am surprised you aren’t singing ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor.’”
Whether she realized it or not, Lexi moved closer to Will, maybe recognizing this woman’s too-obvious interest in him. It made him smile and want to hug her close. He was no stranger to being hit on. He’d done an interview a few months ago in the Seattle Times, talking about working at his family’s company, being a bachelor in a busy city, and what being a wealthy man meant to him. It was supposed to be flattering. His mother had been thrilled by the recognition, but Will felt… exposed. He could talk business all day, to anyone. But that didn’t feel like the tone of the article. More than one woman had brought it up since at various social functions.
Lexi’s arm shot out and for one brief nanosecond Will thought she was going to punch the woman out of jealousy. The thought was so ridiculous he snort-laughed.
At that same moment, Lexi loudly proclaimed, “I’m Mr. Rogers!”
The group of people on the patio cheered. Lexi laughed.
“Yes! I give great clues. Nice to meet you, Mr. Rogers . I’m Carolyn.” She turned to Will. “I’m positive I know you from somewhere. I’m good with faces and yours is great.”
Lexi’s brows rose, her nose scrunching. It was such a genuine response he almost laughed out loud. Instead he squeezed her hand.
“Not sure what to say. I’m Will, if that helps. And this is my fiancée, Lexi.”
Lexi side-eyed him with a half smirk. Will bumped her with his hip, slipping an arm around her shoulder.
She turned her head and looked at him, the amusement in her gaze shining brighter than the moon.
Looking back at Carolyn, she gave a little wave. “Nice to meet you.”
Right. Enough of this. “We should get going, honey,” Will said, hoping his beseeching look would hammer the plea home.
Lexi bit her lip, then nodded and put an arm around his waist so they fit together like interlocking puzzle pieces. “Yes. Yes, we really should. Good night, Carolyn.”
Lexi turned them, maneuvering them around Carolyn and a few other guests, right through the kitchen, down the hallway, and to the closet to grab his coat and Lexi’s purse. By some unspoken agreement, they kept going, walking right out the door. It wasn’t until they were back close to her car that they stopped. They looked at each other and both released pent-up laughter.
“Wow. Let me just say, as a waitress, I get hit on frequently and some of it is pretty unpleasant but I didn’t know that happened to guys too.”
“Not usually so blatantly but when it does, it doesn’t feel great. I hate the thought of you feeling uncomfortable when you’re working.”
She turned to face him, setting her hands on his chest again like that was where they belonged. He put his hands on top of hers, holding them there.
“Do you think that’s the only place it happens?”
He frowned. “I’m not naive, and I have two sisters and a sister-in-law. I hate that it happens at all. To anyone. But I appreciate you playing along.”
Her lips lifted in a soft smile that twisted something in his chest almost pleasantly. Like when he got a massage and it hurt a bit but it also felt great.
“You saved me,” he said quietly, his tone playful.
“Now we’re even. Honey. ”
God, he liked her. When was the last time he’d laughed and had this much fun? Felt this good?
“Lexi,” he said, his heart beating loud in his ears. “Go out with me again. On an actual date. Just the two of us.”
Her gaze moved down. “I don’t know, Will.”
With one finger, he lifted her chin. “I like you. It feels like it’s mutual.”
In a swift move, she went up on her tiptoes, pushed her arms around his neck. His went around her waist, his hands resting on her lower back.
“It’s definitely mutual. I just don’t know if it’s wise.”
Before he could list the reasons it would be smart for both of them, she muttered, “Neither is this.”
Then she pressed her mouth against his, her lips soft and sweet, not one hint of their earlier teasing in the move. His arms tightened around her as she angled her head, pressing closer. Will groaned, one hand sweeping up her back, into her hair as they learned the shape and feel of each other. When her tongue touched his, he couldn’t hold back the low growl that left his throat. She didn’t seem to mind, tangling her fingers in his hair, tugging a bit as they held tighter.
Gentle presses, demanding ones, their mouths moved apart and together over and over until he thought he’d actually lose his breath. Kissing her was better than having oxygen.
When she pulled back, lowered herself to the ground, Will’s brain was foggy.
“Jesus Christ. You cannot deny we have chemistry.”
Lexi reached up, ran her thumb over his bottom lip. He took her wrist, kissed her palm, then held her hand.
“No. I can’t. And I won’t. But I’m not sure there’s room for this in my life, Will.”
He hated the hint of sadness in her tone. “Room for what? Fun?”
She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You. You’re not just fun. You’re sweet, sexy, and smart.”
“So far I see no reason not to date me.”
She laughed even as she moved back. “I’ll think about it. Thank you for tonight.”
“Trust me,” he said, hating that they were saying goodbye. “It was my pleasure.”
She opened her door, got in, and looked up at him through lowered lashes. “I’m very glad I sat down at your table.”
When she pulled away, he stared after her car a minute before heading to his own.
“You and me both, Lexi,” he said to himself as he got in. “You and me both.”
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