24. Kristin
24
KRISTIN
T he headlights of Will’s truck flashed across the wrought-iron gate guarding his driveway. I hadn’t been back at Will’s house since our first date. Still, the moment we pulled in, it felt like home.
The kids were passed out in the back seat. Hunter was zonked out against the window, while Zo and Ky used the giant stuffed flamingo between them as makeshift pillow. After a long day combined with the epic crash from their sugar high, they slept the entire way back to New Bern.
Logan took the passenger seat in the front. I was wedged between him and Will, fighting sleep for the two-hour trip back to New Bern.
“This is your place?” Logan asked in quiet disbelief as the truck rumbled down the driveway.
“Yep,” Will said as he threw the truck into park and cut the ignition. “C’mon. I’ll show y’all around.”
The windows glowed with warm light from inside, and solar stakes marked the path to the front door. Even in the darkness, Will’s home was beautiful .
“Where are we?” Zoey whimpered as the lights inside the truck turned on. She rubbed her fists against her closed eyes and yawned.
“We’re at my house,” Will said as he reached over and helped unbuckle her seatbelt. “Hunter, will you grab Zoey’s bag?”
Hunter was quick to pitch in, slinging Zoey’s overnight back onto his shoulder.
The kids—minus Logan—moved like zombies to the front door. Logan stayed glued to my side, his head on a swivel like he was readying for an attack.
A blast of warm air scented with pine and cinnamon swept over us as Will unlocked the door and led us in.
“It’s pretty late,” Will said. “How about I show y’all to your rooms and we’ll do the tour tomorrow?”
They nodded and yawned in agreement.
The six of us made our way up the stairs to the second floor. The smell of cinnamon grew faint, overpowered by the scent of lumber and fresh paint. It almost smelled like a hardware store. Weird.
It hadn’t smelled like that when I slept in the guest room on our first date.
Will opened the door to the room I had taken a nap in. “Kylie, this one’s yours. Zoey is next door. There’s a bathroom between the rooms for you to share.”
I appreciated the close proximity. Kylie was over the moon to have a night away from her little sister, but it gave me peace of mind knowing they were still near each other.
Will flipped the light on and I froze. It was the same room, but it didn’t look like it had when I stayed over.
Gone was the builder’s beige paint and sensible gray duvet. In their place were fresh white walls, a tufted cream headboard, and layers of crisp white linens.
Dark purple pillows and a fuzzy purple throw adorned the top of the bed. Flowers decorated the bedside table, and a woven rug stretched across on the floor.
The standard white blinds now had lavender curtains tied back on either side with white sashes.
Kylie didn’t know any different, but I did. And it was everything.
Next was Zoey’s room. I hadn’t been in this one before, but the touches of pink decor, the mountain of stuffed animals, and the sheer canopy over the bed were equally thoughtful. Will had gone above and beyond for the kids’ first night.
We walked the boys down to the other side of the hall.
“Hunter, this one’s yours,” Will said, opening the door. He darted out of the way as Hunter bolted inside.
The wooden bookshelves lining each wall were filled to the brim. It was like his own personal library. I recognized a few of the spines. Will must have been taking mental notes every time the kids opened their mouths within earshot of him.
Logan’s room was last. Will waited beside me as Lo opened the door and flipped on the light. The decor was much simpler than the other three, but there was a television and a gaming console on top of the dresser. A guitar was propped up in the corner.
I tried to rack my brain, but I came up with nothing. Logan didn’t know how to play. We didn’t have a guitar.
Then it hit me.
Logan had been watching a YouTube video of a guy playing a guitar last night after dinner…
Wow. Will worked fast.
“If you need anything, Kris and I will be downstairs,” Will said. “Make yourself at home. Raid the fridge, the pantry...”
Logan looked at the room, shellshocked.
“You good, Lo?” I asked gently.
Logan nodded, then hugged me .
My heart twisted as I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed.
Physical affection from him was rare. He’d mumble a half-hearted I love you once a day, but that was it. I was always the one bear hugging him to get on his nerves and remind him that I loved him.
But he initiated the hug this time, and it wrecked me.
I dropped my arms as Logan backed away from me. Will offered him a handshake, which very quickly turned into a bro-hug. Logan’s eyes were rimmed red as Will gave him a good-natured slap on the back.
He swallowed, then backed away. Moment over.
“Sleep well,” I said, squeezing Logan’s arm. “Holler if you need anything.”
Logan looked Will in the eye. “Thank you.”
Will gave Logan a simple nod, put his hand on my back, and led me downstairs.
As soon as my feet hit the foyer floor, I pressed my hands square on his chest and shook my head. “Will?—”
“I know what you’re going to say,” he blurted out quickly. “I knew you’d be pissed if I asked for your opinions on having the rooms redone, but it’s important to me that they have their own space.”
He left no room in his words for an argument.
Will wrapped his hands around my wrists, holding my flattened palms against his chest. I could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage.
He stroked the backs of my hands with his thumbs as he said, “I remember what it felt like to be their age and sleep in a stranger’s house. Trust me, it helps.”
He never talked much about his time in foster care. When he did, he didn’t have anything particularly negative to say about it. Still, even in the best situation, it had to be somewhat traumatic .
If I hadn’t already been in love with the man, I would have been a puddle at his feet. Hell, I was in love with him, and I was still melting.
“I’ll pay you back,” I insisted.
He brushed his knuckles across my cheek. “No, ma’am.”
I popped up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. “That was everything to them,” I whispered. “And me.”
Will cocked his head to the side. “So, if I told you I have one more surprise, you won’t kill me?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Depends. Did you get rid of the hammock?”
I loved that hammock and would have a conniption if he took it down. I couldn’t wait to lounge out there tomorrow, relaxing under the trees as boats floated by.
He chuckled and shook his head. “Nope. Never. That’s our spot.”
“Then lead the way.”
Will took my hand and led me through the main floor to his bedroom. My feet ached and my back throbbed after working a half-day at the inn on top of walking a near-marathon at the fair.
I halted mid-step as we entered Will’s room.
Gone was the cold navy and gray bedding that screamed bachelor . It had been replaced by crisp white linens and burnt orange pillows. A new wooden headboard replaced the old one. An oatmeal-colored chenille throw blanket was draped across the foot of the bed.
It was warm and inviting. The perfect blend of masculine and feminine.
I floated across the room and picked up a framed photo of the two of us off the nightstand.
“Will…” I could barely muster a whisper. It felt like an out of body experience.
“I’m playing the long game, sweetheart. I know this isn’t easy. There’s a lot to consider—school districts, the commute to Beaufort. I want you here as often as you can be.”
I didn’t even know where to start. “I have so many questions…”
Will stood behind me as I stared at the photo of us. He reached around my waist and untied the arms of the flannel shirt I had looped around my hips.
I stretched my head to the side as his jaw scraped against my skin. It was a stark contrast to the warm, tender kisses he placed along my neck.
“Then ask them,” he murmured against my skin. His hands circled my waist, then slipped underneath my tank top. Sparks danced across my skin.
“I…”
His fingers dug into my hips, pulling my ass against his front. Will dropped his head and grazed the shell of my ear with his lips. He growled. “You what?”
His hands anchored me to the ground, but he didn’t make a move to take my clothes off. The anticipation was almost unbearable. The mix of anxiety and excitement overwhelmed me.
The only times I had gone all the way was when I fooled around with boys who were just as inexperienced as me. Will wasn’t a boy. He was all man .
What if I wasn’t good at it?
“I’m nervous,” I admitted quietly.
“Don’t move,” he said sternly. His heat vanished from my body, and I heard the door to the bedroom close and the lock click. His hands were back on my ribs in milliseconds. “Raise your arms,” he commanded.
And I obeyed.
Wordlessly, he curled his fingers around the hem of my tank top and pulled it over my head. He tossed it aside, then skated his hands down my arms to the waist of my jeans. He untied the flannel looped around my waist, popped the button, and pushed them down.
I turned and used his forearms for balance as I kicked them off.
Will grabbed the back of his Henley at the neck and pulled it over his head in one swift motion.
I longed to touch him. I wanted to run my fingers down the sharp grooves of muscle. The light smattering of hair that covered his pecs. The dark trail that led from his navel down, down, down?—
Will slid his jeans off his hips, his erection springing free.
My eyes widened. “You go commando?”
A lopsided grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Trust me, you’ll appreciate my ability to fuck you whenever, wherever.”
Holy shiitake mushrooms.
He stood before me—naked—in a wide stance with his arms crossed over his chest.
I swallowed, unable to peel my eyes away from his cock. He was… Holy shit . Large was an understatement.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, knees spread, and rested his hands on his thighs.
I wrapped my arms around my waist. I was more clothed than he was, but I felt completely exposed.
“Come here, beautiful. Don’t hide from me,” Will commanded. His voice was gruff, but it had a warmth that comforted me. “Let me look at you.”
Slowly, I lowered my arms and took a step forward.
He pointed to the space between his knees, right in front of his hardened cock. A pearl of wetness seeped from the head.
“Wrap your hand around my cock,” Will said gently, his hazel eyes meeting mine.
I hesitated.
He reached out and took my hand, unfurled my fingers, then wrapped them around his dick. His hand closed around mine. “Good girl. Just like that.”
I let out a little gasp as his cock twitched and throbbed. Will closed his eyes as he sucked in a sharp breath.
“Do you see what you do to me?” he grunted, guiding my hand up and down his shaft in a steady rhythm. “Do you see how much I need you?”
My body lit up like a wildfire, blazing furiously with the voracious need to feel him inside of me. He wasn’t even touching me and already had me on the verge of shattering in bliss.
“Panties off,” he snapped. “Let me see that pretty pussy.”
The sweet, gentle Will was gone. In his place was an aggressor who held my body captive, teetering on a hair trigger.
Hands shaking, I hooked my fingers around the sides of my simple cotton briefs. He hadn’t given me a chance to change into something sexy. I lowered my panties down my thighs, letting them fall past my knees onto the floor.
“That’s right.”
Pinpricks flashing across my skin at the sound of his praise.
He beckoned me closer with a crook of his finger. “Bra off.”
More boldly this time, I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra.
Will grabbed it and tossed it aside. He trailed his finger from the dip in my collarbone, down the valley of my breasts to my navel. He circled my belly piercing, and a devilish smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
I cowered away and shivered.
“You didn’t tell me about this,” he said as he trailed his finger lower, sliding to the left where my tattoo started low on my hip and snaked down to the crease of my thigh.
It was my impulsive, I’m an adult—hear me roar tattoo that I got on my eighteenth birthday.
It was a feather with orchids and vines twisting around it. My eighteen-year-old self thought she was deep shit with her “Hope is the thing with feathers” tattoo inspiration.
Now, hope was the only thing I held on to. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
What if Will hated tattoos? What if he thought it was hideous?
I didn’t trust my own voice to hold up as I asked, “Do you like it?”
With his hands on my hips, Will dipped his head down and kissed across my hip. Following the vines and lines of the feather, he edged closer to my pussy.
I whimpered. What would it feel like for him to...
Will stood up, towering over me. His chest pressed against mine. I mewled at the scrape of his chest hair against the hard peaks of my nipples.
“You are, without a doubt, the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” His grip on my hip was punishing. With his other hand, Will pressed his thumb against my navel. “I fucking love all your little surprises.”
Without warning, he wrapped his arms around me, dug his fingers into my ass, and threw me on the bed. He grabbed my ankles the moment I hit the mattress, yanking my ass to the edge of the bed. Dropping to his knees, he draped my left leg over his shoulder, then my right.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to lick your pussy? To find out what you taste like?” His breath was hot against the soft skin of my inner thighs.
I fisted the sheets and whimpered. I was afraid that I would come apart at the first swipe of his tongue, but I didn’t want this to be finished. Not yet. Not ever.
If Will Solomon could keep me in his bed for the rest of my life, I’d die a happy woman.
He turned his head, scraping his sharp jaw across my hypersensitive pussy. The feel of sandpaper scuffing against my wet core made my eyes roll back in my skull. I was going to die before I ever got his dick inside of me. I was sure of it.
I had expected him to thrust himself deep inside me the second the kids were out of sight, but the tantalizing foreplay was almost unbearable. The first touch of his mouth against my pussy made me cry out in sheer euphoria.
Will dove in like a man starving. His tongue swiped through my center, lapping at the bundle of nerves like it was the best damn thing he’d ever tasted.
“Will, please—” My orgasm rushed in so fast I wasn’t sure I could fight it.
“Please what?”
“I—I don’t want to come yet,” I managed to choke out. “I don’t want it to be over.”
His chuckle was dark and deadly. He briefly pulled away from my pussy to say, “I love you, but I’m about to fuck you like I hate you.” He smirked, his lips quirking against my wet clit. “The least I can do is make sure you come before that happens.”