Home to Stay (20 page)

Thank God she hadn’t asked him to leave. Not that he wouldn’t have gone if that’s what she wanted. But that definitely wasn’t what
he
wanted. Waiting for Will to return, Randy leaned back on the tan couch with one foot propped on the large ottoman. He took in the small interior of the cottage.

Wood covered every surface, including the ceiling. He was surprised they hadn’t used it for the countertop as well. Not that the place wasn’t nice—it was. Dark, but nice. There was one large window along the back wall, which likely offered a killer view of the water. The cottage sat close enough to the sand that he imagined you could wade into the surf in about four steps.

A surfer’s dream location.

No personal touches graced the walls or furniture. No hint of the woman who lived among the worn couches and outdated lamps. He’d expected a picture or two. A piece of sentimental bric-a-brac. Based on appearances alone, the place could have been occupied by a weekend vacationer.

How had she lived here for more than a year and not made it her own? Being a renter didn’t mean you couldn’t put a picture frame on the end table.

“Thanks for letting me do that,” Will said, rubbing the bottom of her hair in a towel as she stepped into the room. “I feel so much better.” Tossing the towel over the back of a small kitchen chair, she asked, “Did you get yourself something to drink?”

“I’m good,” he said, smothering the urge to ask why there was no sign of her anywhere in sight. “I like the outfit.” Will wore a thin gray shirt over black yoga pants. “I can get you pants like that with the fitness club logo on them.”

“That’s nice,” she said, dropping down beside him, “but I’m anti-exercise.”

Randy sat up. “You’re wearing yoga pants. Yoga is exercise.”

“Wearing the pants and doing the yoga are two very different things, my friend.” Will crossed her ankles on the ottoman. “Ah, that feels good.”

As dark lashes rested against pale cheeks and wet black hair scattered about narrow shoulders, all Randy could think about was how beautiful she looked. Not a stitch of makeup, and a tiny hole gaping from the side seam of the shirt. Nails free of paint, both fingers and toes. Not the slightest affectation to enhance the good or camouflage the bad.

On Will, the good needed no enhancement, and the bad didn’t exist. She was perfect in his eyes.

“I can feel you staring at me,” she said, eyes closed. “I hope you didn’t expect me to put on makeup. At this time of night, what you see is what you get.”

“I like what I see.” Randy kissed her shoulder. “A lot.”

She turned his way, granting him a blushing smile. “I’m happy to hear that,” she whispered. Topaz eyes turned stormy. “What I’m looking at is pretty nice, too.”

Lifting her hand to his mouth, he trailed kisses along her knuckles. “Want to see more?”

Her laughter danced around them. “There’s a big bed in that room over there.” Will kissed his jawline. “Want to go see it?”

“Lead the way.”

She didn’t need to take his hand. Randy would have followed her anywhere. But she did, and he did, and they reached the bed without another word being spoken. A lamp on the bedside table cast a dim glow across the ancient-looking quilt. Turning to face him, Will slid her hands up his abs, over his chest, then draped them around his neck. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek and she leaned into the touch.

“Thank you for letting me come over,” he said, his voice soft, reverent.

“Thank you for making me feel special.” Will stared into his eyes as if willing him to read her thoughts. To understand the silent message in her words.

“You
are
special, gypsy. Don’t ever forget that.”

A heartbeat later she was pulling him down, rising on tiptoe and kissing him as if their lives depended upon the connection. His hands slid under the shirt, wrapping around her back, soaking in the heat of her skin. Her lips and tongue were setting him on fire, demanding more with every breath.

Hands fisted in his hair, she edged them onto the bed, then grabbed the back of his shirt and struggled to pull it off. Randy broke the kiss long enough to give her what she wanted, then took a bit for himself, tossing her shirt away before taking her mouth again. There was no bra to remove, only tiny, pert breasts pressed against his chest.

When he dropped his hands to her bottom, she arched against him, revealing she was as ready as he was.

“Will,” he said against her lips, using all his strength to rein himself in. “We need to slow down.”

“No, we don’t,” she said, reaching for the button on his jeans. “We need to go faster.”

Randy rocked back on his heels. “We’re not teenagers having to hurry before your parents get home.” He took her hands. “Let me do this right.”

Planting her hands on his cheeks, she said, “You’re doing this right. Last night was better than right. Three years, remember? You’re killing me here.”

He kissed each palm, then wrapped his arms around her. Spotting a silk sleeping mask hanging on the bedpost above the lamp, Randy got an idea.

“Trust me?” he asked, caressing her back and hips.

Impatient blue eyes narrowed. “I’m half naked with you on my bed. Odd time to ask that, don’t you think?”

Leaning in for a kiss, Randy reached past Will, snagging the mask in his right hand. When he pulled back again, Will huffed.

“Are you
trying
to drive me crazy?”

“Not yet,” he said. “But I’m about to. Lie down, Willow.”

“I—” she started, but he stopped her with a look. Randy kept his hands crossed behind his back. “Fine. I’ll lie down. But you’re killing the mood here.”

Once she was on her back, her body tense with irritation, Randy dangled the mask above her nose. “Put this on.”

“What?” Will said, lifting off the pillow.

“Please,” he said, the word laced with patience. “Trust me.”

“You’re not going to try feeding me weird things, are you?”

Randy chuckled. “You’ve seen too many movies. No food. Nothing but you and me and this mask.”

She still hesitated.

“I will never hurt you, Will.” Rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip, he held her gaze. “Ever.”

Will reached for the mask and slid the band over her head.

CHAPTER 20

A
s everything went dark, Will’s other senses heightened. She could feel the cool air drift across her bare chest. Hear the crickets chirping outside the window. She could even smell the shaving cream Randy must have used before he’d come over. That was nice of him, to spare her the beard burn.

The bed sagged to her right, followed by a weight pressed against her side.

“What are you doing?” she asked, already impatient and anxious. He’d gotten her to put the mask on, which she planned to rip off if this got too weird. The least he could do was move things along.

Randy kissed her shoulder. A chaste kiss, as if she weren’t lying here half naked and blindfolded. “I’m looking at you.”

She pulled her arms in to cover herself, but Randy stopped her with a gentle touch on her elbow. “You’re beautiful, gypsy. Don’t cover that up.”

She didn’t feel beautiful. She felt exposed and vulnerable. But she also felt anticipation and arousal. The fact that he saw her body as beautiful was enough to earn her cooperation.

Will decided to focus on Randy’s breathing. To gain a sense of where he was, and what he might do next. Surely he planned to touch her eventually. His breathing was steady, unrushed. When was he going to do something?

And then he did something.

One finger trailed along her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. With total certainty, Will knew she was not going to survive this. At least not for long. Then that finger trailed down her side, over the sensitized flesh of her right breast, and along her ribs. She didn’t need her sight to know goose bumps were rising along her skin. It was as if she’d become one giant nerve ending.

One finger became two, trailing across her belly and up the other side. The moment his palm brushed her left nipple Will nearly latched onto his neck, but she remained as still as possible. Which was taking a herculean effort. The weight by her side shifted again, lifting away until she felt the bed sag along her other hip. She focused again on Randy’s breathing.

Slightly quicker now, and from above instead of by her side. At least she wasn’t the only one being affected by this slow torture.

And then the bed moved again and his weight disappeared completely.

“Where are you going?” she asked, using all her willpower not to remove the mask.

“I’m taking off my pants.”

Will wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Oh,” she said, possibly the lamest response ever. “That’s good.”

“I thought it was only fair considering what I intend to do next.”

Was that a clue? He was taking off his pants because…

And
she had her answer. A firm hand slid beneath the waistband of Will’s yoga pants. He moved with slow deliberation, trailing across her hairline, then sliding toward her hip. Instead of pulling down from both sides, the hand retreated.

Had she called this torture? Was there a word
worse
than torture? Because this was worse. Much worse.

“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” she whispered, her voice sounding distant in her own ears thanks to the blood pounding through her head.

“You need to be patient. We’ve barely started.”

Easy for him to say. He wasn’t lying here at the mercy of someone else.

He joined her on the bed again, most of his weight low on the mattress. As if—

“Oh, God,” she said as he kissed her. There. Over the thin material that suddenly felt like thick wool against her burning skin. Will had never been one to call on any deity during sex, but this was an extreme circumstance.

The next kiss was above the waistband, but not by much. Moist breath teased her skin as his tongue licked the fire threatening to burn her from the inside. Determined to see this through, and certain the patience for which he asked would be justly rewarded, Will grabbed two handfuls of quilt and bit her bottom lip.

Both of his hands were on her now, easing the black pants down. Dropping kisses on every inch of newly revealed skin. He blew on her clit and she clenched the blanket tighter.

Once the pants were gone, Randy kissed the bottom of her foot, then her ankle. Next was the inside of her knee. The inside of her thigh. And again below her naval. Powerful legs straddled one of hers, pressing a knee firmly between her thighs. She couldn’t help but press down, fighting the need to take charge and make demands.

Big hands slid up her torso and finally touched her breasts. He gave them gentle attention, then pinched each one just enough to send a bolt of heat to her core. Will whimpered. She could do this, but his time would come. He would see she could give as good as she got.

His mouth took one nipple, suckling and biting in turns, while he kept the other busy with his talented fingers. Will dropped the quilt to touch the man who was driving her crazy. A sheen of perspiration covered his skin, and his movements were quicker, more demanding, as if he were fighting his own struggle to keep things slow.

“I need you, Randy. Please.” She would not make demands, but she
was
willing to beg.

In response, he nudged her legs open wider, sliding a hand between her body and his knee. One finger drove in hard and Will half screamed, half growled Randy’s name. Wet and ready, she pulled his head up until their lips met in a rush of longing and need. Her hands slid over his slick back, pressing him closer.

He withdrew his hand to rub circles over her clit. Will’s hips lifted off the bed as the orgasm scorched her body. Sensations toppled one over the next, her limbs tense, then limp. And as the wave began to crest, Randy entered her in one deep plunge, sending her back into the storm.

He was as lost as she was now. Setting a driving pace that took Will’s breath, her ability to think or speak. Raw animal instinct took over, and she held on with all she had, knowing the next wave would take them both. When it did, a guttural moan echoed around the room. Will clung to the man buried inside her, one thought filling her mind.

She never wanted to let go.

Randy remained as still as possible as air pumped in and out of his lungs. That was a good sign. At least he was still breathing. There was no bright light coming toward him. Another good sign that he hadn’t died. Though he
had
just gone to heaven.

A cheesy thought, but he was too sated to care at the moment.

He opened his eyes to find Will peeking at him from under the mask, a goofy smile on her face. “You alright there, stud?”

Laughter shook his body. “I’m better than alright. How about you?” he asked, giving into the temptation and taking her mouth in a leisurely kiss. He was still inside her and growing hard already. Not a bad recovery time for a guy his age, though he’d never last as long a second time.

Will pulled the mask off and held it above their heads. “I could learn to love this little thing. Is that a frequent party trick of yours?”

She gave him way too much credit. “First time.”

Her arms dropped to the bed as her mouth fell open. “You lie.”

“Scout’s honor. I’d do the salute thing, but I can’t move my arms yet.”

This time it was her laughter that made him shake. “I’m feeling a bit numb myself. Though I see something else isn’t having any trouble lifting.” Long nails traced his rib cage, sending him squirming to the side. Will leaned up on one elbow. “Oh my gosh. Tell me you are not ticklish.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you.” Randy hurried off the other side of the bed before she could attack his weakness. “Is the bathroom around here somewhere?” He needed to dispose of the condom he’d managed to slip on after taking off his pants.

“Five feet to your left,” Will said, sitting up on the bed. “That’s another perk of wearing a mask. Once you take it off, it’s as if you have night vision.”

Randy did his business with little fuss, then joined Will back in the bedroom. She’d pulled the covers down and crawled beneath the sheet. “Got room in there for one more?”

“I’m not used to sharing, but I’ll make an exception for you.” She threw the covers back and patted the pillow next to hers. “Come on in.”

As he lowered onto the bed, Will laid her head on his chest, drawing invisible circles around one of his nipples. The blanket would look like a pup tent if she kept that up.

He considered asking her about the lack of personal items in the place, but the timing didn’t feel right. Truth be told, he didn’t feel like talking at all. Randy would be content to hold Will in silence for the rest of the night. Or longer.

“I’m tempted to ask what you’re thinking, but I hate when people do that.” Will abandoned his nipple to twirl a finger in his chest hair. “But you’re so rarely quiet, I can’t help but be curious.”

Should he tell her he was having long-term thoughts that involved the two of them spending lots of time in this exact position? Something told him the timing wasn’t right for that either.

“I’m thinking about how hot it was to realize you didn’t bother with panties after your shower.”

She threw a leg over his, pressing against his hip. “No sense in wasting a clean pair of underwear when they were going to come right back off.”

Sometimes her honesty took his breath away. “Have I told you lately how much I like you?” he asked, before pressing a kiss into her hair.

“No,” she said, lifting her head to look into his eyes. “But you’ve shown me, and that’s even better.”

“I’ll happily show you anytime.”

Will leaned up high enough to kiss his chest. “I think it’s time for me to do a little showing in return.” As she spoke, Will scooted down his body, disappearing under the blanket. When she glanced up from the vicinity of his naval, the smile on her face set his temperature soaring.

“If you really want to,” he said, his mouth too dry to say anything more. When she gripped him at the base, his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. When she kissed the tip, he grabbed the cast-iron headboard.

When she took him to the hilt, he saw God.

Will expected Randy to leave in the middle of the night, as she had the night before. But when she brought it up, the man had been ready with an answer on every front. He’d parked under the house, so no one passing by would know he was there. And no one would miss him at home, since he’d fed the boys before coming to her house.

Then there’d been the promise of morning sex. A promise he’d diligently kept. Twice.

If the man hadn’t possessed an innate ability to make her feel cherished and safe simply by smiling at her, or holding her hand, she might have caved. If she’d been in her right mind, she’d have shoved him out the door. Sleeping together, meaning actually sleeping, and then waking to his charming face only made matters worse.

She could place the blame on that damn mask. Still shocked that she’d even agreed to wear it, Will knew that if it had been any other man, there would have been no deal. Not even a moment’s consideration. Putting on that mask required total trust. Will didn’t trust anyone. Couldn’t afford to. It was as if Randy had slipped beneath all of her defenses when she wasn’t looking. Taken her by surprise and done more than offer her some long-overdue sex.

He had her thinking long term. Mentally searching for ideas of how she could stay on Anchor forever. Make the past a nonissue. Defuse the threat that had hounded her for three years.

But there was no use, and she knew it. Jeffrey wasn’t going away. He’d get close, and she’d have to run again. It had happened too many times for her to think anything would change. And she had no more power against him now than she ever had. The remote anonymity of Anchor provided better protection, but her luck was bound to run out eventually.

Besides, she was damaged goods. Randy would want a family. That’s something she could never give him. He deserved more than Will could ever be, and that meant reinforcing the boundaries on their relationship. Which she would do, as soon as Randy finished his shower.

“I’ve got it all figured out,” Sid yelled as she stormed through Will’s front door.

Oh, shit.

Will stood frozen in the kitchen, coffee mug halfway to her lips. “What are you doing here?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t reveal the panic screaming through her brain.