Chapter 44
Willow followed Scottie into the apartment, which smelled of fresh laundry and mint tea. Her heart beat faster as the door clicked shut behind them, and they stripped off their coats and shoes.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” Scottie stuffed her hands into her pants pockets, a gesture that managed to look nervous and sexy at the same time. “Or something to eat?”
It was oddly comforting to see that the normally self-assured woman was a little flustered too. Willow gave her a smile. “No. I only want you.” She wasn’t usually so bold, but Scottie made it easy to just say what she wanted.
Heat flared in Scottie’s eyes. “I want you too. But give me one minute. If you want to freshen up, the bathroom’s right there.” She pointed at a door to their right.
“Thanks.” Willow ducked into the small bathroom, washed her hands, and splashed cold water onto her face. When she glanced in the mirror above the sink, her cheeks were flushed, her pupils wide, and her hair a bit chaotic from the long workday.
She looked wild and alive, not like the pale, nervous woman she’d seen in the mirror this morning.
When she came out of the bathroom, she expected to find Scottie waiting in the hallway, but instead, she leaned in the doorway to the bedroom and made a soft “come here” gesture.
Willow joined her, and they entered together.
“Wow.” Willow took it all in, half aware that her mouth hung open.
Scottie had transformed her bedroom into a sanctuary.
There were no electronics anywhere, not even on the small desk in the corner.
The lights were off. Candles in heavy glass jars flickered on the dresser, the desk, and the sideboard next to the bed, throwing a golden glow over the silk sheets and glinting off the bed’s metal frame.
A bottle of lotion was waiting on the nightstand.
Willow pressed a hand over her heart. “You Willow-proofed the bedroom!”
“No. I’d never want it to be Willow-proof.
I just want you to be comfortable.” Scottie rubbed the back of her neck.
“I didn’t have time to buy a humidifier, and, uh, if you’d rather have the lights on, I’m fine with that.
I don’t care if you blow out the light bulbs as long as you’re enjoying yourself. ”
Willow’s throat was so tight, she barely got the words out. “No, this is perfect. Thank you.”
Scottie walked over to the nightstand and picked up the bottle of lotion. “I thought maybe I could help you with this part.” Her voice was low and husky.
The thought of Scottie’s hands on her, spreading lotion all over her body, made heat curl low in Willow’s belly. “Yes,” she whispered.
Scottie put the lotion down and stepped closer.
There was still a foot of space between them, but Willow’s breath caught in anticipation.
“Can I undress you?” Scottie’s eyes seemed to smolder with intensity.
Not trusting her voice to work, Willow nodded. She brushed her fingers across the metal rail at the foot of the bed, discharging the faint prickle of static buzzing through her.
Slowly, as if giving Willow a chance to stop her if she needed to, Scottie lifted her hands.
But stopping her was the last thing on Willow’s mind.
She stayed very still and glanced down, watching as Scottie’s fingers found the first button on her blouse and slipped it free.
She unbuttoned each one slowly, as if opening a fragile gift.
When she’d undone the last one, she didn’t part the blouse yet.
Instead, she lifted her gaze to Willow’s.
Pulse thudding in her ears, Willow nodded.
Scottie eased the blouse off Willow’s shoulders. Her palms followed its path down, sliding along Willow’s arms and making goose bumps scatter over her skin.
“Skirt too?” Scottie asked once the blouse fell to the floor.
“Yes.”
Scottie found the zipper at the side and slowly drew it down, the sound overly loud in the silent room. Her hands traced the curve of Willow’s hips as she guided the skirt down.
It pooled at Willow’s feet, and she stepped out of it.
“Keep going?” Scottie sounded as breathless as Willow felt.
She nodded.
Scottie followed the edge of Willow’s pantyhose with her thumbs before hooking her fingers beneath the elastic.
Willow reached for the metal footboard, both to make sure no static electricity could build up and to keep her balance as her knees went wobbly.
Holding eye contact, Scottie knelt and eased the sheer material over Willow’s hips and down her legs. This time, her fingers grazed bare skin on their way down.
Every light brush made Willow shiver.
Scottie stood and raised her hand to Willow’s bra. But instead of taking it off, she lightly stroked the satiny, black material with her fingertips.
Willow sucked in a breath. If this was what it felt like to have Scottie caress her through a layer of fabric, Scottie touching her bare skin would undo her completely.
“Very pretty,” Scottie murmured. “But I bet what’s beneath it is even more beautiful. Can I?”
Willow nodded, her entire body tingling with anticipation.
Scottie reached around her. She was now so close that her chest brushed Willow’s bra-clad breasts.
Her nipples instantly hardened, and she bit back a moan.
The clasp gave away, and the band loosened, but Scottie didn’t pull the bra off right away. She smoothed one strap down Willow’s shoulder, then bent and placed a soft kiss where it had been before repeating the process on the other side.
When she straightened, creating more space between them, the bra dropped to the floor.
Cool air washed over Willow’s bare chest, and she resisted the instinctive urge to cover herself with her arms.
Scottie stood very still. Her gaze swept up Willow’s body, hungry yet reverent, taking in every inch as if Willow were the most desirable woman she’d ever seen.
A thrill shot through Willow. The look in Scottie’s eyes instantly melted away her rising insecurities.
“I was right,” Scottie said, voice smoky. “Way more beautiful than the bra.” She trailed a single fingertip along the underside of one breast, barely grazing it.
The moan that Willow had been holding back finally broke free. How could such a barely there touch send an electric current down her body, even though she was still gripping the metal footboard?
Scottie drew a slow line down Willow’s belly with her fingertip, then traced the edge of her panties, setting off more shivers. “Want to leave those on for now?”
“No.” The answer came out before Willow could even think about it, surprising her.
She wanted no more barriers between them.
A part of her yearned to just tear off her panties and Scottie’s clothes and draw her down on the bed, skipping the lotion.
But she forced herself not to rush this.
For once, she wanted to feel everything, experience every sensation instead of trying to keep her reactions safe and contained. “Off.”
They both reached for the elastic at the same time and slipped the panties down her hips together.
Then Scottie took over. Her knuckles brushed a line down the front of Willow’s legs as she slid the fabric down.
Finally, Willow stood fully naked, and Scottie drank her in once more. Her tongue darted out, wetting her full lips.
Tingles shot through Willow’s body. How was it possible to feel so vulnerable yet incredibly powerful at the same time?
Scottie shook her head as if to clear it. “Lotion,” she said loudly, as if she, too, had to convince herself not to skip that step. “Why don’t you lie down?”
Willow sank onto the bed. The silk sheets were cool along her breasts and belly, and she stifled a gasp as the smooth fabric made contact with her sensitized skin. She turned her head on the pillow so she could watch Scottie in the soft candlelight.
Scottie poured lotion into her hands and rubbed them together, warming it.
The scent of apricots filled Willow’s senses, reminding her of her favorite shampoo.
The mattress dipped as Scottie knelt next to her. “Where do you want me to start?”
Frankly, Willow didn’t care—as long as Scottie would be touching her. But she understood what Scottie was doing: giving her control, because that was what Willow had told her she needed.
“Back,” Willow got out through a dry mouth.
Scottie tapped Willow’s back with one finger. “Testing, testing, one, two, three.” She grinned down at her. “No zaps. Looks like we’re good to go.”
Willow burst out laughing. Scottie’s playfulness was like a healing balm, making any lingering remnants of tension fade away. “You’re such a goof.”
“Mm-hmm. But I’m your goof.” Then Scottie’s fingers drifted lower, tracing a slow path down her spine, and Willow’s laughter cut off.
Scottie’s method of applying lotion was nothing like a massage therapist’s. She trailed her palms over Willow’s back in tender strokes, as if she was pouring her heart into every touch. “How’s this?”
“Mmm.” Willow’s muscles melted beneath her caresses.
Scottie spread her fingers wide over Willow’s shoulder blades, then followed their contours before sliding her palms over her shoulders and along her arms. “Okay?”
Willow could only nod. Everything felt so much more than okay. The lotion made every touch glide smoothly along her skin, but Scottie’s fingertips added just a hint of friction that set off tingles everywhere.
Scottie retraced her path without any hurry—up Willow’s arms, over her shoulder blades, then down her back, as if memorizing every inch.
When she reached the dip at the small of her back, she let her warm palms rest there for a moment before drifting back up, spreading the lotion with long, languid strokes.
Willow’s eyes fluttered shut.
On the next sweep down, Scottie’s touch veered outward, over her sides, following the line of her ribs. Her fingers grazed the outer curve of Willow’s breasts.
Arousal flared through Willow. She gasped into the pillow.