Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
brOGAN
I wake up to a warm body pressed against mine. For a split second, I tense, years of training kicking in. Then I recognize Willy’s scent, jasmine and the sea, and I relax. She’s curled up against me, her back to my chest, fitting like she belongs there.
The sound of waves crashing on the shore filters in. I blink, taking in the morning light and the situation. Somehow during the night, we’ve ended up tangled together and Sir Fluffington the Third, our oversized panda is sadly relegated to the floor.
I should probably move and give Willy space, but damn she feels so good in my arms. Her hair tickles my nose as her steady breathing matches mine, and I find myself not wanting to disturb this moment.
I want to freeze it in time, savor it up to the millisecond. I lie still, hyper-aware of every point where our bodies touch .
Willy stirs, and I hold my breath. Will she freak out? Will she push me away?
“Do you want me to move?” I ask, my voice rough with sleep.
She rests her hand on my arm, surprising me. “No,” she murmurs. “Let’s stay like this for a bit, if that’s okay.”
My heart pounds. “Of course it is.” I pull her a little closer. “Although Sir Fluffington the Third seems to have been forgotten.”
She giggles. “He’ll survive.”
As we lie there, our bodies entwined, I can’t help but think how natural this feels. How right. And for the first time in a long time, I let myself relax completely, soaking in the moment.
Too bad I’m getting too relaxed and my body is reacting to her presence. Her softness.
“Willy?” I murmur after a few minutes.
“Yeah?”
I try not to laugh. “We might have a situation here.”
She tenses up. “What situation?”
I chuckle, my breath hitting the back of her neck. “Let’s say there are some… side effects to spooning. You might feel them pretty soon.”
Willy’s quiet for a second then starts laughing. “Oh, you mean morning wood?”
“Bingo,” I murmur, trying my best to scoot my hips backward. “Sorry if it gets awkward.”
She turns her head, meeting my eyes as she scoots her hip back, right against my erection. “Don’t be. It’s normal. ”
Crap. Normal, my ass. Now it about to go full-staff.
“Kind of flattering, actually,” she adds as I raise an eyebrow.
“Flattering?”
“Been a while since I’ve had this effect on a guy. Nice to know I still got it.”
I can’t help myself. I plant a quick kiss on the back of her neck. “Trust me. You’ve definitely still got it.”
She shivers a bit, sighing. “You sure are a smooth talker, Hollister.”
I want to tell her how I feel, how different this is from anything I’ve ever felt before. She knew me before I became a SEAL, before I got my shit together. She’s seen the worst of me, and yet here she is.
Sure, we may have started on the wrong foot but I’d like to think we’ve gone past that.
There’s only one problem: I want her. Not just physically, though that’s a huge part of it. I want more than this fake relationship crap. I want something real with Willy, something that lasts.
It scares the hell out of me, thinking such thoughts, feeling such things, things that make the butterflies in my stomach come to life. I’ve never wanted someone like this, never felt so exposed. I want to spill my guts, tell her everything, but I’m afraid. Afraid she’ll reject me, afraid I’ll ruin whatever this is between us.
So I just hold her, trying to memorize everything about this moment. The way Willy feels, the way she smells, the sound of her laugh. I promise myself I’ll find a way to show her what she means to me, to prove that this is real .
Just as I’m about to say something—anything—we hear cars pulling up outside. We both freeze as reality comes crashing back in.
Willy squirms out of my grasp and rolls out of bed. As she peers out the window, she looks adorable in her oversized t-shirt. “It’s Crystal. She was supposed to return my car yesterday but I completely forgot all about it. Guess she did, too, and now she’s here.”
I watch Willy rummage through her luggage for something to wear, her face flushed as she yanks on a pair of jean shorts. She’s even cuter when she’s flustered.
“Shit, shit, shit,” she mutters, pacing the floor. “She doesn’t know about us.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Relax, Willy. It’s just Crystal.”
She shoots me a glare that could melt steel. “Just Crystal? My best friend who has no idea we’re dating? Yeah, no big deal.”
Before I can respond, we hear Crystal’s voice floating up from outside. “Willy? You up there? Your car’s back!”
Willy takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders, and heads for the stairs. I slip on a pair of cargo shorts and follow, not bothering to put on a shirt. Might as well play the part of the loving boyfriend.
As we step onto the porch, Crystal’s eyes go wide. So does the woman driving the second car, her mouth dropping open when I bring my arm over Willy’s shoulder.
“Well, well, well,” Crystal says, planting her hands on her hips. “I guess the rumors are true. Willy Genaro and Brogan Hollister, the hottest new couple in Love Beach. ”
Willy blushes as I pull her closer. “Morning, Crystal,” I say, keeping my voice casual. “Been a while.”
“This is amazing,” Crystal says as she claps her hands together. “Why didn’t you tell me, Willy? Didn’t we just talk the other day?”
Willy stammers, “I… we… it’s new, and…”
“I asked her to keep it quiet for a bit,” I jump in. “You know how it is in this town. Word travels fast.”
Crystal laughs. “Too late for that. It’s the only thing people are talking about.” She pauses. “Speaking of which, I saw both of your names on the guest list for that big shindig on the Intrepid. You know, that massive yacht anchored in Passion Cove? It’s the talk of the town… plus you two, of course.”
I feel Willy tense beside me. Right, the party. The one where we have to convince everyone—like my mother—that we’re madly in love. No pressure.
“We’ll be there,” I say, trying to sound enthusiastic even if the last thing I want to do is hang out at some mega-yacht.
Crystal frowns. “Wait. What are you wearing?”
Willy shifts uncomfortably. “I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
“You haven’t thought about it?” Crystal gasps. “Girl, this is the event of the season! You can’t just throw on any old thing.”
“I’m sure I can find something suitable,” Willy mumbles as Crystal shakes her head.
“Nope. No way. I’m not letting my best friend show up to the biggest party of the year in just ‘something suitable.’ We’re going shopping, and we’re finding you a knockout dress.”
“Crystal, I don’t think–” Willy starts but her best friend cuts her off.
“We’ll hit up that boutique on Main Street. They just got a new shipment of designer dresses.”
Willy chews on her lower lip. “Will they have something my size? I’m not exactly–”
“Of course, they will,” Crystal replies. “They also have seamstresses on-site who can do alterations.”
“Sounds like you’re in good hands, Willy. Can I come along?” I say, earning myself a glare that could strip paint.
Crystal turns to me, waggling a finger. “You, Mr. Hollister, will have to wait and see. No sneak peeks. I want you properly floored when you pick her up.”
I throw her a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Willy looks like she wants to sink into the floor, but I see a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Fine,” she sighs. “But nothing, too… revealing, okay?”
Crystal just grins. “Trust me, Willy. When we’re done, Brogan won’t be able to keep his eyes off you.”
I bark out a laugh. “Like that’ll be a problem.” The words are out before I can stop them as Willy’s eyes widen. Shit. Way to play it cool, Hollister.
But Crystal just squeals in delight. “Oh, you two are just too cute! Come on, Willy, let’s go get you a dress that’ll knock his socks off.”
Willy stares at her. “Right now?”
“Yes, right now. Alterations require time, girl,” Crystal replies, beckoning for Willy to come over .
“Well, let me brush my teeth at least and dress decent,” Willy says as she hurries back into the house, leaving me with Crystal who’s watching me with a knowing smile on her face.
“Who knew that all this time, you liked her,” she is saying as I roll my eyes.
“Mind your own business, Francia,” I mutter. How this fake relationship just got more complicated, I’ll never know.
But it certainly got more real.
No one’s at the family house when I roll up. Mother’s probably at her favorite shop, getting dolled up. Or she could be holed up in her room. That’s the thing about the Hollister mansion—it’s so damn big you could have a party in one wing and not hear a peep in the other.
Ever since Dad bit it from a heart attack three years ago, Mother barely leaves her rooms. Plural. She only comes out to make sure I’m decked out in the latest threads from Paris or Milan before some fancy shindig. Or to guilt-trip me about settling down and giving her grandkids.
Unlike Willy, who’s probably stressing over finding a dress, all I have to do is stroll into my walk-in closet and pick from hundreds of designer labels. Ferragamo, Zegna, Marc Jacobs—I could rattle them off, but that’d make me a joke to my Team. Still, I’m their go-to guy for dressing to impress .
For tonight I’m going with a Zegna tux. Can’t go wrong there. It’s weird to be pumped about this party, but I’m not gonna lie. I want to be seen with Willy. I want her next to me, smiling, laughing, looking at me the way she did this morning.
I’m adjusting my cufflinks when there’s a knock on the door and Preston strolls in, looking like he just stepped out of a GQ spread. “Well, well, little brother. Don’t you clean up nice?”
I eye him warily. “What do you want, Pres?”
He leans against the doorframe, smirking. “Oh, just wondering how long you plan on keeping up this charade with Willy. You know Mother’s going to figure it out eventually.”
I tense up. “It’s not a charade.”
Preston laughs. “Come on, Brogan. I know you. This isn’t your style. So what’s the real deal? Trying to piss off Mother? Or is this some misguided attempt to save Willy’s job?”
I clench my jaw. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?” He raises an eyebrow. “Look, I get it. Willy’s hot. But Mother’s right. She’s not one of us, and you know it. She’s going to have a field day when she realizes you’ve been playing her.”
I take a step toward him, doing my best not to punch his lights out. But that would only prove Preston right. “Watch it, Pres. You don’t know a damn thing about Willy or how I feel about her.”
He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. This little game of yours is going to blow up in your face, and when it does, don’t come crying to me.”
As he turns to leave, I call out,” It’s not a game. Not to me.”
Preston pauses at the door, looking back at me with something that might be of pity. “For her sake, I hope you’re right.”
As he walks away, I’m left standing there, my heart pounding. My brother’s words echo in my head but I push them aside. I know what I feel for Willy is real. Now I just have to prove it to everyone else.
And to her.