Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Willa was no prude, and she’d spent several hours in a car with him, so she knew he wasn’t exactly a gentleman, but to hear him say that word when they were mashed together in this heart-shaped bed in a cabin the size of her walk-in closet was…
Exciting.
Thrilling.
And it ignited a hunger she needed to immediately suppress. “Here.” She tossed him a meat stick. “This one’s for you.”
He read the label. “Oh, no. I can’t eat that.”
“Why not? The chemicals?”
“No.” He tilted the label toward her. “It’s the aphrodisiac blend. I’m already going to have a hard time with a beautiful woman in a vibrating bed.”
A laugh bubbled out of her, and it broke the tension. He watched her with a gleam in his eyes like he was delighted, and she didn’t know why. “What?”
“What’s that expression?” he asked. “Something about dancing like no one’s watching? That’s how you laugh. Like no one’s watching.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Her hand immediately went to her mouth, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled it away.
“No. It’s about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Excuse me? Did he just say I’m sexy?
So sexy he turned his back on me and shut himself in the bathroom?
“It just doesn’t match the polished attorney look.” He gestured toward her. “The shiny hair and expensive clothes.”
“How do you know they’re expensive?” They were. The black jeans had the perfect stretch to them and fit her like they were custom made. They were incredibly comfortable but stylish—and they cost six hundred bucks.
“You can tell.”
“My mom says we’re walking business cards. And you never know who you’re going to sit next to on the plane.”
“Well, it works. I’d hire you.”
“Do you need me for anything?” She tore open a bag of cookies with raspberry thumbprints. “I’m hungry to source deals.”
“I don’t have a lot of mergers going on.”
“Okay, but when you and Aurora decide to make that next step and merge your lives together permanently—”
“I’ll be sure to call a justice of the peace.”
“Where’s the fun in that? Come on. Live a little. Merge your football empire with her music business. Talk about a power couple.”
“She told the world I have a small dick.” He shook his head. “No merger.”
“Well, it’s not libel if it’s true, so there’s nothing your attorney can do about it.”
He studied her for a moment before tipping his head back and laughing.
Only a man with a large dick would laugh at the insinuation.
And there she went, back to imagining his hard cock.
She looked through the gift basket. “There’s nothing for me here.
” As she set the gift basket on the floor, red glitter fluttered all over the blanket.
“This is all so sweet, isn’t it?” She took in the rose petals, candles, and the banner.
“I’m sad for the couple that didn’t get to appreciate this.
” She couldn’t fix their actual wedding night, but she could do something.
Grabbing her phone, she pulled up the lodge website, found the Contact link, and typed out a note.
“What’re you doing?” he asked. “You’re not asking for fresh cookies, are you?”
“Why not? It’s part of the package.”
“You can’t send them out in the storm.”
She concentrated on her note.
Hello, I’m Willa Holland. You were kind enough to give us the honeymoon suite tonight, and we’re so appreciative.
The gift basket is lovely, and I feel terrible that the bride and groom didn’t get to experience this, so could you please add a future stay credit for them on my bill? Thanks so much, Willa
After she hit send, she noticed the quiet in the cabin. She turned to find Decker staring at her. “What?”
“That was nice of you.”
“It’s someone’s wedding night. And they’re stuck somewhere.”
“True. But I don’t know anyone who would’ve thought to do that.”
“Well.” Her cheeks heated, and she focused on her food options. She reached for the peanut butter cups, but he snatched them out of her hand. “Hey. Peanut butter’s protein.”
“Doesn’t count when it’s wrapped in sugar. Come on. You haven’t eaten a real meal all day.” He offered her the Caesar salad.
She rolled her eyes. “Nobody eats salad on a road trip.”
“Sugar’s not food.” He gave the bag a small shake. “It’s momentary comfort. And it works for about five minutes before your mood takes a dive.”
She grabbed it back. “My body, my temple. And since when are you the food police?”
“Look, you’re my wife. I have to live with you. You know how bitchy you get when you don’t eat protein.”
“Huh. So it’s not about my health. It’s about you.” She turned petulant. “Everything’s about you.” She unwrapped a peanut butter cup and popped it into her mouth. “I want a divorce.”
He got up on an elbow, lowering his face till it hovered over hers. His mouth softened, and his eyes burned. “Don’t you know, baby? I’m in this for life. I don’t ever give up.”
“That’s…strangely erotic.” She shoved him off. “Now, ice that ankle, and let me eat my feelings.”
He set his ankle on a pillow and adjusted the bag in just the right spot.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” He stabbed his fork into the salad and took a gigantic bite.
Chew, swallow. Done. He did it a second time.
A third. And then, the salad was gone. As he set the plastic bowl aside, he found her staring. “What’d I do now?”
“What kind of dressing did you use?”
“I don’t use dressing.”
“What kind of lettuce was it?” she asked.
“Whatever you got me. I’d normally choose spinach and romaine.”
“It was iceberg. Was the chicken seasoned?”
He tipped his chin, thoughtful, then said, “Sure. With salt.”
“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.” She gathered all her goodies and shoved them as far away from him as possible. “You may not have any of my treats. They only go to people who appreciate them.”
“I told you, food is fuel.”
“Sir, there’s more to life than football.”
“Yeah? What more is there to your life than making partner?”
She opened her mouth, ready to rattle off a whole list of things she did in her spare time, but she clamped it shut. “Touché. But at least I enjoy something other than work.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“I like to travel.”
“Cool. Where’ve you been lately?”
She should’ve known he’d ask for specifics. She wasn’t going to tell him about her mom’s house in the Hamptons or the company retreat on Nantucket. “Nowhere.” She flashed him an irritated expression. “I like shopping.”
“Yeah? Where do you like to shop?”
Ugh. This man. “Mostly online, okay? I just don’t have time to get to the boutiques I like.”
“Huh.” He twisted the cap off a water bottle and downed half of it. “So, you have no hobbies at all. Interesting.”
Was Pilates a hobby? She viewed it more as part of the structure of her day.
“Well, I don’t like the sound of this at all.
” She set the peanut butter cups aside. “I’m going to take a Ju-Jitsu class when I get home.
” But wasn’t that just another fitness class?
She glanced at his pile of snacks. “What real food do you have in there?”
He handed her the meat sticks.
“But you said these are aphrodisiacs.”
“That’s all we’ve got.” He grabbed the basket again. “Wait. There’s a box of chocolates.” He untied the red ribbon on the heart-shaped box and pried off the lid. “Look.” They were in the shape of fish. “There’s your protein.”
She laughed and popped the chocolate into her mouth. “All set. What else is there to do now but sleep?” She shoved everything back into the bags and flopped onto the mattress. Her head hit a hard pillow. “Ow.”
After a moment of quiet, he said, “I took all the fun out of your picnic.”
“It’s been a long day.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve kept my mouth shut and let you eat whatever you wanted.”
“It doesn’t taste nearly as good as it did when I was a kid.” She closed her eyes, and to her utter horror, she had an image of Decker with nothing but a towel pasted to the back of her eyelids. She flicked them open. No, no, no.
We’re not fantasizing about the hot jock.
She heard a crinkling sound, and when she looked over, she saw him holding the Jackalope. On the antlers, he’d pierced the Moon Pies.
He dipped the stuffed animal back and forth in front of her face. “Jackie says Decker’s a dick and that you can eat anything you want.”
She pulled one off, leaving behind some of the sticky marshmallow center. “No wonder Aurora fell so hard for you.”
“She didn’t, trust me. All she wants is the attention.”
She sat up to eat her cookie, and when she took a bite, crumbs tumbled onto the bed. “Good thing I put the towels down.”
“We still have wine, if you want some.”
“Pass. And I’m not upset about the food. My mom just really…” Hurt my feelings. “I guess I’m truly seeing her for the first time, and I’m not liking it.”
“What if it’s not about you? What if she’s the problem?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You’re thinking she doesn’t love you—”
“Or even like me.”
“Right, but does she have any close relationships?” he asked. “Is she married?”
“She’s been divorced twice, and her only friends are business connections.”
“So, that’s what I mean. She’s not designed for relationships. They’re not her priority.”
“No, she’s all about success. She divorced my dad because they didn’t want the same things.
And Richard—that’s Kendall’s dad—left her a few years ago, right after he retired.
He said he wanted a ‘real wife.’ He moved to Florida, bought a convertible, and is living his best beach bum life in the Keys. ”
“A real wife, huh? That had to hurt.”
She smiled. “You don’t know my mom. She called her attorney, served her husband papers, and wiped her hands of him.” A boom of thunder had them both flinching. “Is this the end of the world?”
“Can’t be.” He drained the water bottle. “We’ve got a wedding to get to.”