Chapter Seventeen
Will was well on his way to memorizing every single knot in the ceiling beams when he heard Hadley’s footsteps on the front porch. How did he know they were hers? The same way he’d always known when she was on the sidelines at a rugby game or just around the corner at a charity event. His heart beat faster, his muscles tensed with anticipation, and a certain sense that the fun was about to start had him grinning.
The lone light in the cabin was the single beam coming from the half-closed bathroom door. It was more than enough, though, to watch her as she walked in—whatever of her that he couldn’t see in the dim light, his imagination filled in. He didn’t even have to work at it; he’d been memorizing her every curve since the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. Damn, for being someone who was thought of as a killer when it came to business smarts, he sure was an idiot when it came to Hadley Donovan.
“Did you and Adalyn work everything out?”
Hadley gasped, slapped her palm to her chest, and did a quick turn so she was facing the pullout bed where he was lying. “I thought you were asleep.” She let out a long breath that ended in a giggle. “You owe me about five years back on my life span.”
He sat up slowly, looking her up and down as he planned out every spot he would kiss, every curve he’d caress, and every inch of her he’d worship. “I think I know how I can make it up to you.”
“Really?” She flicked op
en the button of her jeans, lowered the zipper, and shimmied out of the denim. “I have some ideas, too.”
“Glad we’re both thinking the same thing.” Thank God.
He rolled off the bed and reached behind his head, grabbing his shirt before pulling it off and flinging it across the room. By the time he had his jeans and boxers off, Hadley stood on the opposite side of the bed wearing nothing but a plain white bra, cotton panties, and his black cowboy hat. He’d never seen anyone look as good or wanted someone more.
Having enough of there being a bed between them, he started toward her. “You look good in my hat.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She nodded toward the floor. “And your boots look pretty damn fine under my bed.”
“Your bed?” He rounded the end of the mattress. “It’s been ours since we got here.”
Hadley shrugged one shoulder as she wound a strand of dark hair around her fingertip, not moving, no doubt knowing she didn’t have to. Wherever she went, he’d be there. “I’ve made many sacrifices.”
“I’ll be forever grateful.” For her. For this trip. For all of it.
His entire body humming with anticipation, he finally got close enough to touch her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him.
Then he fell backward, taking Hadley with him so she landed on top of him, loving the feel of every inch of her pressed against him.
With her long legs straddling him as she pressed a palm to his chest and lifted herself up, she said, “That was quite a ride.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet, darlin’.”
She tipped the brim of his hat as she undulated against him. “Yeehaw.”
It was ridiculous and hokey but still the hottest situation he’d ever been in. No doubt being with a nearly naked Hadley had something—everything—to do with it.
She leaned down and kissed him, her full, soft lips demanding against his. Lifting his hips, he gripped her waist and held her to him as he kissed her back just as hard and hot as she was giving. God, she was wet, so much so that he could feel her damp heat through her panties as she rocked against his cock. When she sat up and laid her palms on his chest, changing the angle as she ground her core against him, he let out a harsh hiss of breath. This woman. She was going to kill him. He couldn’t care less. Reaching up, he cupped the back of her head, tugging her down so he could kiss her again.
The feel of her, the taste of her kisses, the way she had him on edge with just a look, all of it meant that if she kept doing that, he was going to lose it, flip her over, and sink inside her, and he didn’t want that yet.
Breaking the kiss, he lifted her hips up off him. “Be sure to hold on.”
He glided his hands down so he cupped her ass and then pulled her north until her sweet panties-covered pussy was right above his mouth. Heaven didn’t even begin to describe it. And just as soon as he thought it couldn’t get any better, she stood up, balancing on the bed as she took off her panties, tossed his hat across the room, and slipped off her bra. Always one step ahead of him, she gave him a sassy gotcha wink and then lowered herself to her knees above his face. It was close, so fucking close, but it wasn’t enough for either of them.
Barely breathing, hard as a fence post, and desperate for her, he glided his palms up the outside of her legs, rounded the curve of her hips, and pulled her down so he could taste her. The moment his tongue lapped at her clit, her thighs tensed on either side of his head before she started rocking against him in tandem with him as he licked and sucked and teased her. Listening to her breathing catch as she edged closer and closer to coming was better than any other sound. This was what he wanted, needed—to take her higher, to show her that what was between them was more than just two people stuck together for a week pretending to be who they weren’t. This could be them. It should be them. Here. In Harbor City. Anywhere. They belonged together.
Her ass, overflowing his hands in the absolute best way possible, tightened as she bit down on her bottom lip and increased the pace of her rocking, telling him without words what she wanted from him. She didn’t have to worry. He’d always give her exactly what she needed. Pulling her more firmly against him, he closed his eyes and got lost in the slick sweetness of her swollen folds. He swept his tongue over her clit again and again, harder and faster with each pass, until her orgasm pulled her body taut above him and she cried out.
Holding her, steadying her, she came down from that high and collapsed onto the bed next to him. If there were words to explain everything he wanted to tell Hadley at that moment, he didn’t know them. It was all too big, too new, and too important. Then he rolled onto his side so they were face-to-face and the sight of her, flush and satisfied, took even the possibility of forming words out of the realm of possibility.
“I’m done pretending,” she said and kissed him as if she’d been waiting her entire life to do it.
Will knew the feeling because that was exactly how he kissed her back.