Chapter 19
LUST, LOVE AND LEMON MUFFINS
NATALIE
It was sometime in the middle of the night when I woke, my body curled instinctively against Will’s warmth. The room was completely dark, the heavy blackout curtains shrouding any hint of time, but the quiet stillness told me it was far from morning.
I blinked a few times, adjusting to the silence. My cheek rested against his chest, and I could feel the slow rise and fall of his breathing. The steady rhythm calmed me, grounding me in the moment. I shifted slightly, and that was all it took.
Will stirred beneath me, his hands finding their way to my waist as if he’d been waiting for me to move. His touch was gentle at first, a soft graze of his fingers over the fabric of my shorts. Then, with a quiet exhale, he tugged at the waistband, his intentions clear but unhurried.
“Come here,” he murmured, his voice rough from sleep.
I let him guide me as he rolled me on top of him, his hands firm yet tender as they settled on my hips.
For a moment, we just stayed there, my knees bracketing his sides, my hands pressed against his chest. His eyes, though barely visible in the darkness, held a quiet intensity that made my breath catch.
Neither of us spoke. There was no need for words. The quiet hum of the night wrapped around us, amplifying every small sound, the soft rustle of sheets, the hitch in my breath, the low hum that escaped his lips when I leaned forward.
His hands slid up my thighs, slow and deliberate, as though he wanted to memorize every inch of me. I moved against him, matching his pace, each motion a wordless conversation between us. His grip tightened slightly, grounding me, pulling me closer.
It wasn’t hurried or frantic, but deliberate and deep, like neither of us wanted to let the moment slip away too quickly. The world outside his room felt impossibly far, as if nothing else existed but this—us.
We came undone at the same moment, I collapsed against him, my head tucked beneath his chin, my heart pounding in time with his. His arms wrapped around me tightly, anchoring me in place as though he couldn’t bear to let go.
I stayed on top of him, my fingers lazily tracing patterns on his chest. His hand ran up and down my back in slow, soothing strokes, his breathing evening out.
“Don’t move,” he whispered after a while, his voice soft but resolute.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” I murmured back, letting my eyes close as the warmth of his body pulled me under again.
He kissed my cheek softly, and we both drifted back to sleep.
When I woke again, the room was still dark, though the clock on the nightstand read almost 10 a.m. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept this late.
I reached for my phone and saw a missed FaceTime call from the kids.
Guilt bubbled up in my chest, though I reminded myself that they were fine with Jason.
Quietly, I slipped out of bed, searching for the clothes that had been discarded during the night.
Finding them, I pulled on my shorts and sweatshirt and padded downstairs to call them back.
The kitchen was warm and inviting, with sunlight streaming through the windows. I started making coffee as I dialed Jason’s number. After a few rings, Bebe’s cheerful voice answered.
“Hi, Mommy! I miss you,” she said.
“Hi, Bebe. I miss you too,” I replied. “I’ll see you after school tomorrow. Are you having fun with Daddy?”
“We are!” she said matter-of-factly. “We went to dinner last night and got pizza.”
“That sounds like fun,” I said. “Can I talk to James for a second?”
I heard her call for her brother, and as she did, Will appeared in the doorway. He was shirtless, wearing just a pair of fitted sweatpants, his hair messy from sleep. God, he was sexy.
“Hi, Mommy,” James’s voice came through the phone, sounding confused. “I can’t see you. Why aren’t we on FaceTime?”
“I’m about to drive to the farmer’s market,” I lied. “It’s not safe to FaceTime and drive.”
“Oh,” he said, accepting my answer. “Don’t forget to get strawberries.”
“I won’t,” I said, laughing softly. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“Daddy wants to talk to you,” James said before handing the phone off.
“Hi,” Jason’s voice came through, calm and measured. “I just wanted to confirm, I’m bringing in Bebe’s science project tomorrow for school, right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” I said. “Thanks for handling that.”
“No problem,” he said. “Everything’s been going well. I was wondering if we could meet up for coffee or lunch next week?”
“Um, sure,” I said, caught off guard. “Let’s touch base tomorrow and find a time.”
“Sounds good. Take care,” he said before hanging up.
When I turned around, Will was at the counter, putting bread in the toaster and setting out jams and butter. He walked over to me, placing a cup of coffee in front of me before kissing my cheek.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice warm and soft.
“Good morning,” I replied.
I took a sip of coffee, letting the moment sink in.
“So,” I began, “I really need to get to the farmer’s market today. And I have some work I need to finish. But I was thinking that I could come back later.”
Will’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You don’t have the kids tonight?”
“Nope,” I said. “Jason’s keeping them until tomorrow morning and dropping them off at school. It’s his first solo drop-off. I have faith he’ll manage.”
“I’m surprised you want to spend another night with me,” he said teasingly.
“I think I want to try this but, slowly,” I said, meeting his gaze.
“I can slow down with you, Natalie,” he said, his tone sincere.
I decided, for now, to believe him.
When I got home, I felt a strange mix of emotions.
My body was sore from days of passion, but my mind buzzed with thoughts of work, the kids, and what exactly this was with Will.
It felt like stepping into another world when I was with him, but eventually, I’d have to reconcile it with the real one.
After a quick shower, I dressed and grabbed my basket for the farmer’s market. The beauty of Southern California was there’s always a fresh market nearby, no matter the day.
When I arrived, I headed to the fruit stand, taking in the vibrant colors of the produce.
“Hi, Natalie!”
I turned to see Lisa, the baker, waving at me.
“Hi, Lisa,” I said, smiling. “Great to see you. Are you gathering ingredients for something delicious?”
“Yes! I’m working on some lemon muffins this week,” she said brightly.
“That sounds amazing,” I replied.
“I’d love to drop off some samples for you and your family sometime soon,” she offered.
“That’s so thoughtful,” I said. “Why don’t you come over later this week? We can go over more of your vision for the bakery.” I handed her my phone. “Can I get your number?”
“Of course,” she said, typing her information into my contacts.
As I watched her walk away, I couldn’t help but feel conflicted. Lisa had such a warm energy, and I wanted to hate her for that moment with Will, but I knew better. Will was all in with me, I just needed to decide if I was all in with him.
After finishing at the market, I stopped at Costco for a few more items, then headed home to organize everything for the week ahead. By the time I was done, it was mid-afternoon, and my thoughts drifted back to Will.
Natalie: Should I head over soon? What should I bring?
Will: Bring something sexy that I can rip off you.
I laughed.
Natalie: If by sexy you mean a big T-shirt and shorts, I’ve got those packed.
Natalie: I grabbed us some dinner at the market. I’m planning to make lemon fish tonight.
Will: It all sounds delicious. Especially the big tee shirt.
Natalie: See you soon. XO
Will said he was willing to take it slow with me but was I ready to travel this journey with him? Or was the high from our time together fueling me to move forward before I could really think it through?