Twelve
It took effort to keep from fidgeting as Will looked at her across the small table. She wasn’t even sure why she’d come, other than sorting out the whole engagement thing. And the fact that something about him—the way he looked at her like he really wanted to see her, the way he listened like what she said mattered—soothed and excited her at the same time. She liked him. There was a lot of space between alone and never falling in love. Perhaps she could dabble in the middle.
A waitress far more proficient than she was dropped off a selection of beers in small glasses. “Ethan said to send this over. Nice to see you, Will.”
“You too,” he said. “Thank you.”
When she left, heading to the table full of women who’d checked out Will more than once, Lexi tried to figure out what to say, coming up blank.
To distract herself, she looked at the selection of four beers in varying shades of amber, like a liquid color palette designed especially for fall.
Lexi stared at the beers, picking up the little cards with their names. “I’ve never done a beer tasting.”
Will leaned in. “I have but I haven’t tried any of these. They’re all new. Alexandria.” Her full name on his lips slid over her skin delightfully.
She looked at him. “Can they print a retraction? An apology to your family?”
“I want to date you. I like you and would like to get to know you. We could go the retraction route but it’ll make things more complicated when I convince you to keep seeing me.”
She laughed, played with the little card in her hand that read: APPLE ORCHARD . “What if I came to break up with you?”
Will smiled, picked up the short glass, smelled it. “Ouch. I think you’re honest enough with yourself to admit to both of us that you’re interested.”
He started to take a sip when she said, “Maybe I just want to sleep with you.”
Coughing, he widened his eyes. Lexi felt a bit bad for blurting it out like that but he was right about being honest with both of them.
Amusement sparkled in his gaze, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I think that would require a third date.” He took another small sip.
When he set the glass down, she picked it up, smelled, watching him over the rim as he watched her, coughed a bit more.
“Hmm,” she said, after a sip. “It actually tastes like apples.”
Will cleared his throat. “Granny Smith.”
She nodded, set it down. “Yeah. A little bitter but I like it.” She smiled at him. “You okay?”
Heat underscored the amusement in his gaze. “I’m good.”
“How did your family take the engagement?” She picked up the next glass, the scent of citrus and cinnamon mingling together in a welcoming mixture.
“Shock, irritation, amusement, support, and skepticism. That would be in order of person. Mom, dad, grandfather, younger sister, older sister.”
“Wow. That’s a lot of people. Did you tell them it was a mistake?”
He shook his head. “My sisters know. And your friend. And now, Ethan.” He leaned forward, touched his hand to her arm. “I’m sorry about this. I truly am. But I’m not sorry I met you or that I’m spending time with you.”
He was so sincere. It tugged at places in her heart she thought she’d closed off. “It’s likely Becca’s post was the start of it so I should be apologizing to you. She sent a text today apologizing that she shared without making sure I didn’t mind first.” His thumb stroked over the sensitive skin of her inner wrist. She startled and the beer sloshed over the rim. She set the glass down, licked her fingers, and became all too aware of Will watching her.
Heat blazed between their locked gazes. Lexi looked away first. “Maybe I should ask for the retraction and make an apology statement.” She sipped the beer. “This one has cinnamon. It makes it too spicy. Less natural.” She passed it to Will, their fingers touching. Her body shouldn’t feel all shimmery from a touch.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Will said.
“Uh, sat down at your table, dragged you to a party, fake engagement news. There might be a few things.”
A waitress stopped by their table with a large platter of appetizers. Her bright smile and ease holding the huge dish made Lexi want to ask for pointers. “Ethan thought you might be hungry so he ordered you a Side Tap Platter.” She set it down with plates and napkins, glancing at Will. “Congratulations on the engagement.”
Will gave a tight smile so Lexi thanked her. “I really love your top,” Lexi said.
It was a cute T-shirt with a cartoon graphic of an apple tree, an apple in the midst of tumbling down while saying I’M FALLING FOR YOU .
The woman smiled. “Thank you! We actually sell them at the bar. They’re really comfy.”
When she walked away, Lexi smirked at him. “I don’t think most of the women who say congratulations to you will mean it but she might have.”
Will set the beer down. “I’m only looking at one woman right now and I have a proposal.”
Lexi arched her brows and laughed. “Another one?”
He chuckled but she could see from the set of his shoulders, the line of his jaw, that he was nervous or tense about what he was going to ask.
“Go out with me,” he said.
She leaned in. “I am out with you.”
Will shook his head. The delectable scent of fried foods—cheese sticks, wings, onion rings, chicken fingers—wafted between them, complementing the harvest smells from the beer.
“Most of my family thinks we’re engaged. Lots of others think we’re engaged. I want to date you. I had more fun with you the other night than I can remember having in a long time. Letting the news of the engagement just die out rather than denying it would get my mother to stop foisting women on me.”
She wondered what kind of woman his mother thought suited him. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be on such a list. “Aw, poor Will.”
He flushed. “Sorry. I don’t mean it like that. I just… Lexi, you’re the first woman I’ve met who I can’t block out. I don’t want to. I think you’re sexy as hell, you’re funny and sweet. I want to get to know you. I know the engagement thing puts an awkward spin on it but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s something between us.”
Lexi sipped the apple beer. She liked that one. “My mom has been nagging me to get out more.”
Will pointed to himself, passed her a side plate. “Built-in date, right here.”
Putting a couple of wings, a chicken finger, and some of the fries on a mini plate, Lexi considered his suggestion. She liked him. She liked him a lot and wanted to sleep with him. Most of her life was spent just trying to get through, get to the next step, or figure out the one she was on. Would it be so awful to date Will under the guise of a fake engagement for a bit? Just see where it went? He’d obviously move on and marry someone his mother chose but didn’t she deserve a bit of fun? Maybe if she went out more, her mother would too.
Will pointed a fry at her before popping it in his mouth. “You’re thinking about it.”
“You’re a hard man to say no to, Will. But you have to know, on paper, and in the papers , we’re not a great match.”
He frowned, added a couple of chicken wings to his plate. “Why’s that?”
“Tell me about the women your mother sets you up with.”
Instead, he ate one of the wings so Lexi did the same. Her nerves were erratic but there was something simple and comfortable about sitting across from him, sharing food and beer.
He set his plate down, wiped his hands on a napkin. “I get that you’re not like them, Lexi, and I won’t lie and say that isn’t part of the appeal. But the truth is, I just like you. We can print a retraction and I’ll still ask you to go on a third date.”
The thought sent warmth through her chest, down to her stomach. “If we date under the guise of engagement, what happens when it ends?”
Will was quiet. He tossed his napkin on his plate. “Let’s talk about what happens next and not think about the end.”
Needing to avoid the intensity of his gaze, she picked up the pumpkin spice beer, smelling it before letting the flavor notes sit on her tongue. “Kind of like pumpkin pie.” She took another sip. “I’m not overly fussy about beer. Not really a wine drinker. I do love a good margarita, though.”
He grinned, his eyes still serious. “Good to know. We could have ordered one of those.”
She smiled back, hoping it hid her nerves. “Nah. Margaritas need chips and salsa, maybe some tacos. We have wings and mozza sticks. Beer is a better match.”
When they’d snacked a little, finished most of the beers, she wiped her hands and set them on her lap. If she really wanted to have some no-strings-attached (at least not real ones) fun, she wanted to do it with a clear conscience and as much of the truth between them as she could.
“Why would you want to date a woman who is floundering? I looked you up so I’m sure your family and you have done the same. There’s not much to go off, but I can fill in the blanks. I’m three classes short of a degree, I work the same job I did in high school, I have a second job I’m not great at yet and am considering a third. Today I put my dad’s tools on Marketplace, probably for less than they’re worth. I hated doing it but I know he’d want me to finish my degree and I can’t pay for it otherwise.” He started to speak and she held up a hand. “Don’t even try offering anything—I can see it in your face. I don’t need charity. My mom has shut down since my dad died. I’m having a harder time getting her out of the house. She spends all day reading romance novels or making little miniatures of scenes she’s read. Don’t get me wrong; they’re incredible. She’s truly talented but it’s another way to block out the world. She ignores the fact that the house needs repairs and won’t talk about selling it. That’s me, Will. That’s who I am. What about that is appealing?”
In a move that surprised her all the way down to her toes, he stood up, pulled her to her feet, took her seat, and pulled her down onto his lap. Not that she didn’t go willingly but that didn’t mean he hadn’t shocked the hell out of her. Or that she didn’t really like it a lot more than she should. One of his arms wrapped around her waist and he took her hand in his, settled them both on her lap.
“You. You’re what’s appealing about all of this. The way you talk, the way you brush off compliments but give them freely. The way your hair curls around your face and your eyes light up when you’re speaking about something you care about. The fact that you didn’t care who I was or what my last name was when you stepped closer to me the other night after you realized Carolyn’s interest made me uncomfortable. When you talk about your parents, your tone changes, gets sad, and it makes my heart hurt. There’s a lot to like, Lexi. Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a beautiful, funny, caring woman with a work ethic I admire.”
He trailed a finger over her hand. “And I’ve never had a kiss knock me on my ass the way yours did, if I’m being honest.”
Lexi felt like her insides were trembling. She put her hand to his cheek, rubbed the barely there stubble, letting it rasp under her thumb.
“You’re a very strange man, Will Grand. I like you back and can promise absolutely nothing. This will probably end badly. Mostly for you because no one knows who I am.” Her hand moved down, her fingers trailing along the neckline of his shirt, making his eyes go impossibly dark. “But I’m in if you are.”
They moved in tandem, his hand coming up to cup the back of her neck, her head dipping to meet him halfway. The second their lips touched, her other hand went to his neck and she pulled him in closer, falling into the kiss in a way she hadn’t known was possible. Life changed in seconds. She’d forgotten some of them could be good.
His mouth moved over hers like he knew exactly how to kiss her to drive her crazy, like he knew how long it’d been since she’d been kissed or touched this way. The answer was never. Never like this. The slant of his mouth, the pressure of his hand moving down over her back, urging her closer, his tongue touching hers, retreating, touching again. Teasing and tormenting in the most delicious way she’d ever experienced. What the hell had she been doing all those other times if just kissing could be like this?
Time spun out and she was drowning in a completely new way. A way she was happy to sink down into. His other hand cupped her cheek with a softness that contradicted the ferocious feelings inside of her. Lexi gave him back everything she had. Apparently, she’d been storing up, waiting for this moment, with this man.
He pulled back, whispered her name, a plea full of reverence as his fingers journeyed, brushing over her face. She’d lost so much, and in this moment, it felt like he’d found her.
His lips traced over her cheek, along her jaw, his teeth nipping at the spot where her shoulder met her neck, then soothing the sting with his tongue. His mouth came back to hers, deepening the kiss and softening it at the same time so it became almost leisurely. Seductive, decadently sweet and slow. When he pulled back again, she was grateful the high-back chair and its position pointing away from others kept this moment between only them. Lexi’s breath was as unsteady as Will’s and both of their gazes were hooded.
“Jesus Christ,” Will whispered.
“I’ll say.” It took effort to form words, to think of anything but kissing him again. She really wanted to kiss him again. And again.
Will pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and Lexi closed her eyes, hoping this moment stayed with her no matter what lay ahead. He whispered her name again so she opened her eyes, stared into his.
“I’m in.”