Chapter Eighteen
~Willa~
In Willa’s world, Saturday night had always been the typical date night, but as she was currently with a man who didn’t exactly work the typical schedule, Willa never knew when to expect she and Beckett would go out on a date. Whenever they did, whether it was a Tuesday afternoon or a Thursday evening, however, she always had a wonderful time. After the other night, when he fell asleep in her lap and she passed out soon after, Willa and Beckett woke up in the early hours of the morning and moved into his bedroom.
Sleeping next to Beckett had gotten a lot easier, mostly because Willa had been having the most restful sleep of her life since giving into the desire to lay next to him all night long. His body acted as her own personal space heater, the warmth radiating from his skin lulling her into a dream state so peaceful that when she awoke, Willa cursed the need for money and work because she wanted to do nothing but stay in his arms for the rest of the day. Since those things were necessary, she would instead kiss him goodbye before heading off to Town Hall where he inevitably found her for lunch and they would share a meal, good conversation, and a few kisses that held the promise of more.
It turned out that more would be happening later on that evening. The text from Beckett telling Willa that he wanted to take her out for a special night had been a pleasant surprise, but just because it was the weekend didn’t mean he was doing anything she might not expect. Special could mean just about anything, most notably because every moment with Beckett had felt more than special. Even the times when Willa felt triggered and he had to talk her down from the dizzying heights of a near panic attack, or when he’d had a rough day and was in need of a little TLC, Willa felt so connected to him, so cherished that the good far outweighed the bad.
Still, special meant something and she wanted to make sure she was dressed for the occasion. The only information Willa had been able to needle out of her date for the night was that they’d be outdoors, so she should wear something comfortable. Most of her wardrobe still consisted of the thrift store finds that had been agitated and tumble-dried to the point where they were beyond comfortable, but that had also made them look a bit threadbare. Hence her current location of a little boutique shop in downtown Applewood.
Lottie hummed as she flicked at different clothing items on the rack in front of her. “No, no, no,” she grumbled. Growing increasingly frustrated with the selections, she moved to another rack and started her search all over again. “None of these fit your style.”
Chuckling, Willa sifted through her own rack and pulled out a yellow floral number before quickly dismissing and replacing it. “And what is my style? Thrift store chic?” Passing on another few dresses, Willa moved to the rack that Lottie was currently scowling at.
“No,” she chastised Willa. “You have that whole bohemian goddess thing going on. Like a hippie from a bygone era, but one that actually embraces indoor plumbing and deodorant.” Willa laughed at Lottie’s description of her personal aesthetic, before covering her ears at the high-pitched squeal of delight Lottie belted out as she pulled out a white, flowy dress with bell sleeves and nothing but lace covering the back. When Lottie held it up to Willa, she smiled brightly, waggling her eyebrows at the hemline that would barely hit below where her ass would be. “Perfect.”
Snorting, Willa pushed the beautiful cotton dress away from her. “Yeah, if I were a few inches shorter maybe. One stiff breeze and I’ll be flashing anyone within spitting distance.”
Lottie shrugged and pushed her toward the changing room, dress in tow. “So what? Just wear some cute undies and you’re golden.” When Willa halted her steps and turned with a withering look, Lottie sighed. “Will you just try it on, please? Beckett’s eyes are going to pop out of his head like a cartoon wolf and then he’ll take you back to his place and ravish you like he’s some reformed rake from a historical romance.”
Stepping into the room, Willa raised a brow at her friend. “Wolves? Reformed rakes? You seem to have given this a little too much thought, sweetie.” Lottie disappeared as Willa shut the door in her face and tried on the dress at the woman’s beseeching. There was no doubt in her mind that it would be inappropriate for the occasion, but she didn’t mind humoring her friend.
“Of course I have,” Lottie huffed from the other side. “I have no dating prospects of my own and my well of usual hookups has run completely dry. Until it starts raining dick again, I have to live vicariously through you and anyone else who is getting some on the regular.”
Chuckling, Willa slipped the dress over her head, her eyes widening when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The dress was definitely short, but instead of looking a little risqué, it showed just the right amount of skin and made her legs look longer than normal with the lace back also giving just the slightest peek of skin. The dress was tastefully suggestive and completely perfect for whatever “special evening” Beckett had planned.
Opening the door, Willa stepped out and spread her arms wide. “What do you think?”
Lottie took one look at her and started a slow clap. “Yes, girl. You are going to get the pounding of a lifetime, and while I am envious as hell, I am also happy for you.” She wrapped Willa into a hug. “He’s a good man and you deserve him and every other awesome thing to come your way.”
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by her words, Willa turned away but couldn’t keep the shy smile on her face. “Thanks.” Slipping back into the dressing room to change, she called over the door to Lottie. “You deserve awesome things too, you know.”
“Maybe,” Lottie said quietly. “Doesn’t mean I’ll get them though.” Once Willa was facing her friend again, she was sad to see her looking slightly dejected.
Wrapping her arm around Lottie’s shoulder, Willa steered them toward the sales counter. “I think one of Beck’s coworkers is single. Dale, maybe?” She couldn’t remember the man’s exact name since Beckett often referred to him as “the probie.” “Want me to ask about a double date?”
Lottie rolled her eyes as the cashier rang up the sale. “Dale Banks is barely of legal drinking age, and I’m not that desperate.” She gnawed at her lower lip for a moment as Willa grabbed her purchase and they headed outside. “Actually, ask me again in six months. I might be that desperate then.”
“Will do,” Willa chortled.
When they got to her sedan, Willa paused at the door when she realized the promise she had just made. Would she and Beckett even be together in six months? With a smile, Willa slid into the car and started home to get ready for the date, the whole time hoping that the two of them would be together for a lot longer than that.
****
At the chime of the doorbell, Willa brushed past Lottie who had been putting the finishing touches on Willa’s hair and grabbed her purse. Excitement pulsed through her and she opened the door with a wide smile on her face, feeling like a kid in a candy store. It was an appropriate feeling since Beckett stood before her looking like quite the snack, and when he pulled another bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back, she could see that he was a sweet one at that.
“Willa,” Beckett greeted. His honeyed voice was low, pouring over her just like the thick liquid as his eyes moved up and down her body. The move was a physical caress that caused goosebumps to break out over her skin even as her internal temperature racketed up a few degrees. “You are always beautiful, but tonight you are absolutely gorgeous.” He leaned down to brush a chaste kiss on her lips as he handed her the flowers.
That nearly was enough contact for Willa, and she was tempted to drop the bouquet and drag Beckett back to her room with both hands. Like the telepathic friend she was, Lottie appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the flowers from her. “I’ll take these,” she announced. After batting her eyelashes at Beckett, she winked at Willa and waltzed into the kitchen in search of a vase. Her head popped up from her cabinets and she waved them off. “Get out of here you crazy kids.”
Laughing, Willa and Beckett stepped out into the warm night. As they walked, Willa took in the view of him in a tight pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, putting the deliciously corded muscles of his forearms on display, though she missed seeing his ink. Fortunately for her, there was enough golden skin on display to make up for it being hidden away. Besides, the odds were good that she would be getting a look at his beautiful tattoos again later anyway. She could be patient.
Willa was so mesmerized by the way his muscular form moved that she didn’t notice that he was walking them toward a large, white truck until they were right next to it. “New ride?” she asked as he opened the door for her.
“Just for the night,” he explained. As he rounded the hood to his door, Willa glanced in the backseat, smiling when she saw a cooler and pile of blankets. When Beckett hopped inside, he clucked his tongue at her. “No peeking. You’ll spoil the surprise.”
Holding up her hands, Willa smiled and let the low music pouring out through the speakers do most of the talking while they drove, content to sit next to Beckett and simply enjoy his presence. As the lights of the neighborhood started to fade, she saw that they were heading toward the mountain where she’d twisted her ankle. “Pretty dicey play, Beck. Taking me back to the scene of one of the worst dates of my life.”
Beckett smiled crookedly at her and turned off onto an adjacent dirt road. “I’m not taking you up the trail, though as painful as that day was for you, I do have some very fond memories of it.”
Remembering the way it felt to be carried by Beckett made her feel tingly all over. Reaching across the console, Willa took his hand in hers and clasped it firmly, lacing their fingers together. “I do too,” she admitted. As crappy as that date had started out, it did end quite well.
“Good.” He kissed her hand and pulled the truck to a stop.
Pulling her gaze from him, Willa gazed out the window to see that they were at the edge of a very large orchard. “Is this…?”
“Yup,” he said, his hazel eyes dancing merrily. “This is home.” Willa looked over at Beckett to see him staring at her with a tender yearning, perhaps thinking that his new home wasn’t a place, but a person instead. As she gazed at him, she also started to wonder if the special part of the evening was finally meeting Beckett’s parents, and suddenly she wished she had worn anything but the dress that was on her body. At her panicked expression, Beckett chuckled and opened his door. “Don’t worry. Tonight’s just the two of us.”
Appreciating Beckett’s ability to read her mind a little, Willa stepped out of the truck. Oddly enough, she was actually a little disappointed to hear that she wouldn’t be meeting the people who raised him to be the wonderful man he was today. Other than feeling inappropriately dressed, she had gotten excited at the prospect. “I wouldn’t have minded if we were meeting other people here. If that’s something that’s important to you, it’s important to me too.”
Beckett’s face lit up like she’d just handed him the world. “Yeah?” As Willa nodded, he drew her into his side and swayed them gently. “Maybe next time, but I want to share this with you first.”
He grabbed the cooler and blankets from the backseat and moved to the rear of the truck. Lowering the bed to reveal a number of sleeping bags, Beckett climbed up and started setting up a makeshift bed for the two of them. Once it was all laid out, he reached down and pulled Willa into the truck with him.
Smiling, Willa lay on the padded truck bed and raised a brow at him. “Got a small taste for sex in public and now you want more, huh?”
Chuckling, Beckett joined her and reached into the cooler to pull out a bottle of sparkling apple cider, two plastic champagne flutes, and a container filled with lemon bars. “I’m definitely not going to say no to that, but maybe not in a place where my dad or brother could run into us.”
Beckett popped the top on the cider and poured them both a glass. They clinked them together, the plastic making a dull thud. “Deal.” Willa sipped at the cider, the tickle of the bubbles on her tongue pulling a little giggle from between her lips. “Well, if we aren’t out here for a little exhibitionism, what are we doing?”
Smiling, Beckett pointed to where the sun was sitting lower on the horizon. “I thought we could watch the sunset together. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do with someone, but it never felt right before.” His lips pulled up into a shy smile as his shoulder bobbed up and down, his gaze moving out onto the expanse of trees that were dotted with miniature apples. “I’m not involved in much on the farm beyond occasionally helping out at harvest time, but this place is still special to me.” He turned back to face her. “You’re special to me, Willa.”
Beckett’s eyes bore into hers, the words he’d spoken lighting up the ring of fire surrounding his irises once again and setting off a similar reaction in her heart. The fact that Beckett found Willa worthy enough of sharing this place that meant so much to him was as humbling as it was bolstering. As special as he seemed to find her, he was even more so.
Setting her glass to the side, Willa slid over to him and took his face in her hands, hoping that even though she couldn’t form the words yet, he would be able to understand that she felt the same way about him. “Thank you for sharing this place with me.”
Their lips brushed lightly against one another for the briefest of moments, but it was enough to ignite the flame of desire that was always present between them, lying in wait and ready to combust at any moment. Groaning against her mouth, Beckett pulled her onto his lap and deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth as more feelings of love and affection crept into her heart, wrapping their tendrils around it and squeezing until it felt like the organ might just burst. Gasping for breath, Willa broke the kiss, only to dive back for more when she found that she couldn’t stand to be away from him for any longer than necessary.
Each swipe of his tongue against hers, each pass of his fingers against the bare skin of her leg had Willa wanting time to both slow to a crawl and race at the speed of light at the same time. She wanted the world to stop turning and for them to live in this perfect little bubble they’d created for a thousand lifetimes, and she wanted to fast-forward to the good part where everything was settled and they were living their happily-ever- after. But above all else, she just wanted to experience it all with Beckett. Their kissing got hotter and heavier to the point where they were now horizontal, everything else forgotten as they tried to find a way to climb inside each other and burrow in deep enough that they were never apart again.
Wetness hit Willa’s thighs and for a moment she wondered if maybe things didn’t get a little too out of control for Beckett, but when he broke the kiss, looking down at her with an amused expression and chuckling, she knew it was something else. “Sorry about that,” he panted. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths as he reached down and pulled up the now empty bottle of cider. “Guess we knocked this over.”
Laughing, Willa plucked at the hem of her soaked dress, glancing up at the sky that was about three shades darker than it seemed to be only moments ago. Apparently, they had gotten carried away for quite some time. “I think we missed the sunset,” she informed him.
Beckett glanced over his shoulder at the traces of sunlight that were only visible on the underside of the few clouds in the sky. When he faced her again, he looked completely unbothered by this, a genuine smile lighting up his face. “Worth it,” he confessed, kissing her again.
They got lost in each other once more, and it wasn’t until she heard the stirrings of nocturnal animals that Willa came back to herself. Biting her lip, Willa nodded at the soggy state of their clothes. “Want to come home with me and get cleaned up?”
Beckett smiled slyly and rolled off her, quickly gathering the wet blankets and cooler. “Absolutely.”
Laughing, they hopped into the truck and sped off, the tires kicking up dirt and grass as they made their way down the winding trail that would lead back to the main road. Anticipation sat low in her belly, and not just because she was excited to be going home with Beckett. Willa was excited and a little nervous because, for the first time since they’d been together, it felt like more than just running off to have sex.
It felt like heading home to express something deeper between the two of them with more than just words. It felt a whole lot like they would be making love. The realization that she loved Beckett Kemp hit Willa like a ton of bricks, and while she was sure that panic would come along eventually, for now, she decided to push that away, and just try to enjoy the feeling of resounding affection for the man next to her.