Twenty-one
Other than Maisie, Lexi didn’t have much in the way of friends. The idea that these women wanted to meet her and obviously cared about their brother was beyond enticing. And that was a little worrisome. If she wasn’t careful, she’d forget that a lot of this wasn’t even real. What was 100 percent genuine was how much she didn’t want to go home tonight. How much she wanted to explore this chemistry with Will. She might need to convince herself that she could keep her heart and her desire separate but she didn’t want the fear of falling to prevent her from finding out just how sexy Will was under those collared shirts.
She pulled back from her spontaneous hug. “They sound delightful.”
Will dropped the note on the counter. “Do they now?” He eyed the basket suspiciously.
She laughed again, pushing away all of her uncertainties to let herself live in the moment. Stepping into him again, she stretched her arms up to loop them around his neck. “Come on. They’re having some fun with it. Which is what we should do. Right now, everyone is happy and blissfully unaware. What do you think the treasure is?”
Will’s arms closed around her and he made her squeal when he lifted her, set her on the counter, and settled himself between her legs, his forehead dropping down to hers in that swooningly sweet way.
“You. You’re the treasure.”
Oh hell. How was she supposed to protect her heart, no matter how many layers of logic she’d wrapped it in, when he said things like that?
His hands moved, slid over her thighs, gently squeezing. “Actually, I’m scared to find out. I’m happy you find them amusing. I just don’t want my family or this mix-up to wreck anything.”
“Why don’t we just focus on what we can control?” She kissed his neck, inhaling the scent of an almost woodsy aftershave—a tempting contrast with his designer sweater and jeans. His fingers slid to her hips, tightening, sending a thrill along her skin and through her entire being. She let her tongue touch the spot just below his Adam’s apple, reveled in his sharp hiss of breath. “Let’s just focus on us. On what we feel. And what we want.” Her lips traveled up over his earlobe, and his shiver made her feel powerful. Wanted. “I want you.” Maybe if she got him out of her system, she could keep things light and fluffy. Will Grand was an excellent distraction from reality, and if he could ignore their differences or the fact that one of their moms was over the moon and the other was unhappy about them, so could she. She wanted to live in the moment. This moment. This sexy, sweet man not only brought her back to life but made her smile and laugh. She deserved that.
“That sounds reasonable. Mature.”
She laughed, kissed his chin. “That’s me. Reasonable and mature.”
Will leaned down and brushed his lips against her neck, copying what she’d just done to him, setting fire to her skin, awareness over every spot he touched.
“A sweet tooth, huh?”
He trailed up to her ear. “My sisters have big mouths. Now I need one of your secrets.”
She was going to sleep with him. That was no secret to her. But for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel like there was a rush. A need to reach the finish line as proof she could. Lexi pulled back.
Will stared at her, desire making his eyes darker. His hands flexed against her thighs where they rested.
“Let’s play a game.”
His brows arched.
Lexi laughed, twisting out of his hold to grab the candy basket and settle it on her lap. She rooted through it. “Truth or treat.”
“That’s not a game.”
She looked up at him. “Is too. I just made it up.”
He nodded, his lips twitching. “Right. How do you play?”
“You get to choose truth or treat. If you pick truth, the other person gets to ask any question they want and you have to answer no matter what. If you choose treat, you close your eyes and the other person gets to feed you any candy they choose.”
Taking the basket from her lap, Will set it on the counter and helped her down. “Interesting. I like it. Should we move into the living room, get more comfortable?”
“We could. Or we could go up to your room and do it there.” Lexi closed her eyes, feeling heat splash her cheeks even as the words left her mouth. She didn’t look at him when she added, “The game. Do the game up there.”
Will was grinning when she opened her eyes. “I think that sounds perfect. What pairs well with candy and chocolate? Wine? Beer? Juice? Water? Antacids?”
He set her at ease even when she embarrassed herself. “How about water for now?”
He grabbed two bottles from the fridge. Lexi carried the candy and they walked out of the kitchen, down the short hallway to the stairs. With every step, she wondered what she was doing. Was she fooling herself into believing she wouldn’t get in too deep? Every moment she spent with him made her like him more. Made her like herself more.
They stopped on the landing of the second floor. It was large, big enough for a corner desk nestled in the nook. He had several books over the desk, neatly displayed on floating shelves. There were four closed doors.
Will pointed to the first, ignoring the others. “My room.”
Pushing her nerves down the same way she used to when she was in her running position, her heart hammering as she waited for the sound of the gun, Lexi stepped around him, walked to his door, and pushed it open.
The room was about the size of her living room and kitchen combined. A four-poster, dark-wood bed sat against one wall, matching side tables that were both elegant and masculine. The large window had a dark-blue roll-down blind that matched the bedding. An oversized chair her mother would love sat angled toward a gas fireplace built into the wall. There were two hallways, one on each side of the fireplace.
“I want to live in this room,” Lexi said, walking to the bed to set the candy down. She ran her hand over the comforter.
“Wait until you see the bathroom.” He took her hand, pulled her down the hallway to the left, flipping a switch so the fire flared as he walked by. The hallway was short, leading to an arch letting them into the first area that housed two sinks built into gorgeous black cabinetry along the back wall. To the left, a slightly ajar door showed a powder room.
Will put a hand to her back, nudged her to the other side. “This way.”
With two hands, he slid the opaque glass doors apart, opening up the room so she could see the rest. She walked forward, awe and envy swirling.
“It’s like a spa,” she whispered.
To the right was a dark-gray, tiled shower with a deep bench. A waterfall showerhead extended from the ceiling. Two other showerheads came out from lower on the walls. To her left the same gorgeous cabinetry as the other room lined the wall. The top surface was clearly meant to be a vanity with a long, thin, rectangular mirror extending all the way. Two stools were pushed under the cabinet.
Her eyes landed on the tub. Matte white, deep, and long, it was a freestanding oval that invited the bather to sink in and forget absolutely everything after a long day. There was a low, clear floating shelf against the wall that held candles and a couple of succulents; it seemed like a perfect place for a glass of wine.
“If we weren’t already engaged, I’d propose to you just to get this tub.”
Will’s laugh settled into her soul, lighting her up. What if life were just like this? No sad moms, fake engagements, second jobs? Just her and him and this tub?
His arm wrapped around her waist from behind. “I was thinking earlier you deserved a long soak with a large glass of wine. How about after our game?”
She turned in his arms, too many feelings ricocheting in her chest. “How are you not already taken? With your face, your sense of humor, and this tub, you really are one of Seattle’s finest.”
Chuckling, he used his arm around her to turn her toward the bedroom. “I guess I was just waiting for the universe to throw a sexy, sweet, funny, clumsy waitress into my path.”
She leaned back into him. “I promise my clumsiness doesn’t extend to all areas of my life.”
He chuckled, nuzzling her neck in a way that stopped her breath.
“Just when carrying soup?”
“That’s right. Lucky you,” she teased.
When they reached the bed, he turned her again, stroked her hair back from her face, a look in his eyes that stole her breath.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking, Alexandria. Lucky, lucky me.”