Lexington and 42nd (The Off Field Series #1) (25 page)

He leaned back into the couch, the tension falling from his frame now that he’d finally said his piece. “You should go to bed, get some rest.”

I nodded, even though leaving him on the couch was the last thing I wanted to do. “I will, and thank you, for looking after me I mean.”

“Of course. I’m right next door if you need anything.”

I pulled myself up from the couch. “Okay, good night then. I’ll, um, see you in the morning.”

Will smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Night Em.”

#

After the day I’d had, I should have fallen asleep before my head even hit the pillow. But as I lay there in the unfamiliar room, all I could think of was Will next door, in a bed only a few meters from my own. Somehow, even though I’d had a near-death experience only a few hours before, he had once again consumed my thoughts. Even after all that had happened over the last few weeks, I still felt an underlying connection between us. The ease with which we just
clicked
was so comforting.

The only notable absence had been the crackling sexual tension that always accompanied the time we spent together. I couldn’t fault Will tonight…he’d been the perfect gentleman, the perfect concerned
friend
. But I couldn’t help feeling the loss of our usual flirtation and more than that, I missed feeling like he wanted me. I hadn’t realized how much I craved it until tonight, when it hadn’t been there. Will was such a sexual person in a way that was totally unintentional. Putting aside his looks, his charm and that raw maleness—even the way he moved his body was like a beacon, pulling me to him with a force I couldn’t ignore. I wanted him, no less than I had that night in Florida.

Having had some sense knocked into me at the party a couple of weeks ago, I was smart enough to know that Will certainly wasn’t going to be my happily ever after. And the severity of Mark’s warning earlier that week had shocked me—the knowledge of how much I was putting my career, my livelihood and that of others I cared about in jeopardy was terrifying. But lying in the hospital bed as I waited for my test results, I finally understood the true meaning of the saying
life is short
. Bad things didn’t always happen to strangers that you saw on TV; sometimes they happened to you. So if the car accident had made me realize anything, it was that sometimes you had to ignore the warnings and follow your gut.

I just had to hope after everything that had happened these past few weeks, he still wanted me that way too. One thing was for sure, I wasn’t leaving his apartment without finding out.

CHAPTER TWENTY

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, willing myself to find the courage to go into the kitchen and lay my cards on the table to Will. Or just myself. I was hoping either option would give me the reaction I wanted.

I thumbed the edges of my oversized t-shirt, examining for the hundredth time whether any part of my butt was actually visible from behind and scrutinized how obvious my lack of a bra was. Ultimately I wanted it to be obvious. I wanted to send a message to Will, one that I knew I’d be too shy to voice in so many words. The message that said
I absolutely don’t care about anything else but you, and the fact that I want you. Right. Now.

Straightening, I sucked in a long breath and prayed for the last time that I was on the right side of sultry without veering into desperate-ville. Making my way through the bedroom, I could hear the muffled sounds of Will moving around in the kitchen. I slid the doors open and winced at the gravelly sound they made along the floor.

“Hey, you’re up, I was just making…” I watched with glee as his jaw slackened and his eyes raked my body from top to bottom, returning for a second glance at my chest.

Job done t-shirt…message received.

“I, I was just making some breakfast.” Will blinked a few times, returning his focus back to the frypan. “Do you want some?”

I forced myself to walk forward, knowing that if I hesitated for even a second, I’d chicken out. Rounding the kitchen counter, I leaned across him to flick the stove off and felt his sharp intake of breath as I turned slowly, sliding myself into the almost non-existent gap between him and the edge of the counter.

“No, I don’t want any breakfast.” I met his wide eyes, his body was so close to mine I could feel the movement of his ribs on each inhale.

“Uh-uh.” He swallowed thickly. “What is it that you want?”

“You.”

“I can see that.” His eyes flickered down to my chest and my now very erect nipples.

I tentatively raised my hands to his hips, sliding a finger under his shirt to the warm skin below. Will closed his eyes, the slight tremor running through his arms the only giveaway to how tightly he was holding onto his self-control.

“What’s brought this on?”

My hands paused in their exploration while I waited for his eyes to find mine again. “I guess yesterday made me realize I shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.”

Will nodded, still standing so close, yet not close enough. I was aching for his touch, but I’d gotten us ninety percent of the way there and I needed to know he was with me.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” His big body folded over mine, still not touching as he placed a hand on the counter on either side of me. His lips were so close I could feel his breath on my skin.

“More than anything.”

He closed his eyes tight, almost like he was committing this exact moment to memory. I know I was.

I felt the graze of his stubble against my cheek as his mouth ran across my skin, over my ear and down along my neck, not kissing exactly, just teasing. I’m not sure what sent him over the edge, but when he met my eyes again, suddenly whatever was holding him back was gone.

His lips pressed down on mine, coaxing my mouth open as he sucked and nibbled, grunting as our tongues met. His hands wrapped around my waist, pulling my body flush against his, until I was left with absolutely no doubt that he wanted me as much as I wanted him.

“I think you knew what this would do to me, didn’t you?” He tugged at the back of my t-shirt, pulling it taut across my chest.

I smiled into his mouth. “I do now.”

“You like seeing me come undone?”

His hands left my waist, sliding down around my thighs to lift me onto the countertop. He pulled away from the kiss. “Answer me.”

Will’s lips trailed a path down my neck and across my collarbone, pausing to suck on my pulse point. I swear to God, I was melting right there in the middle of his kitchen.

“I needed to see if you still wanted me, you know…like this.”

Will paused, straightening to meet my eyes. “You remember how much I wanted you the last time I did this?” His hands trailed slowly up my thighs, rubbing soft circles along the inside of my legs with his thumbs. I could only nod, all vocabulary gone out the window.

“I wanted you so much I almost felt you up in the middle of a night club.”

“I almost let you.”

He gave me a cocky grin. “You going to let me now?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

His thumbs finally made it to the apex of my thighs, sending a jolt of pleasure through me as they grazed across my underwear, rubbing in small, slow circles. His lips found mine again and he pulled every sound I made into his mouth, claiming them as if his own.

My hands reached up to grab hold of his hair as his fingers pulled aside my underwear to slide against bare skin.

“
Fuuucckkk
, you’re so soft…so…
fuck
.” He pushed one finger in, then two and within a few short minutes, I was shamelessly rubbing my hips against the palm of his hand.

“Slow down Bambi, I’ll take care of you.” He pulled back, his two fingers coming to rub against me in slow circles again.

He kept it up for endless minutes, his fingers making me all kinds of crazy to the point that I was so worked up, every tiny touch had me almost tumbling over the edge.

Almost…and he knew it.

“Will…I need…” I couldn’t get the words out, wasn’t sure what I was even trying to say as pleasure rolled through me.

“What? Tell me.” His voice was a rasp, “You need to come? Is that it?”

I nodded against his lips. “Yes, please.
Now
Will.”

He pulled back, watching me openly as I came apart under him but I was too far gone to even care. “You don’t know how many times I fantasized about doing this to you. But
fuck
, the reality is so much better.”

He bent down to pull my nipple into his mouth and sucked it through my shirt. I let go of his hair, using my hands on the counter to support myself as I arched into him shamelessly. Nothing,
nothing
had ever felt this good.

He groaned, the vibrations on my breast making me push further onto his hands.

“I swear to God, I’m framing this t-shirt.” I forced my gaze down to where he was looking and sure enough, his mouth had left a dark wet patch on the material around my nipple. I arched further into his hand as his fingers slid back inside and his thumb rubbed against me. I felt the beginnings of my orgasm start to ripple down my spine as Will’s hand moved faster, his thumb pressing down to massage
just there
.

I came with a cry, bucking against his body as he pulled me into him. He locked our foreheads together as he devoured my orgasm with his eyes, watching me as I came all over his hand.

Gradually I came back down to earth again, and both of us leaned back slightly to watch as Will slid his fingers from me. That single act felt so intimate, even considering what he’d just done, that I wondered if I should feel self-conscious. He pulled them out ever so slowly, almost like he knew he had to but didn’t want to, and continued down, tugging at my underwear until I lifted my hips off the counter. His eyes moved back to my face and his hands paused, like he was silently asking for permission to keep going. As if to say,
you know what happens now, are you sure this is what you want?
I wriggled my hips against his hands, giving him all the go ahead he needed. They came off with a swift tug of his arms, falling to the floor and with one arm wrapped around my waist and the other gripping my thigh, he pulled me up off the counter.

“I want you in my bed,” he said as he carried me towards his room.

At his words I couldn’t help but move against him, my breath catching when I felt the smooth heated tip of him poking out from his pants. He grunted, the noise so raw that my body instinctively moved to rub him again, if only to draw out the sound once more. Will’s grip on my thigh tightened, stilling my body.

“Careful Bambi, I’m a little highly strung right now.”

Instead I tugged at the back of his shirt, wanting more than anything to have nothing between us. With one swift movement he pulled it over his head, discarding it as we finally reached the end of his bed. He wasted no time crawling up the mattress and covering my mouth with his, both of us groaning as he ground his hips against me.

“Shit.” Will pulled back suddenly, leaning on his knees. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” I gaped at him. I could barely breathe, let alone focus on speaking now that his gloriously naked chest was on full display. Honestly, if I’d thought Will was a perfect specimen before, bare-chested Will was just way off the charts.

“Did I hurt you? Are you sore?”

When I didn’t answer, he spoke again. “From the accident.”

“Oh. No I’m all right. I mean, I’m a little tender but I’m fine.” I reached up with both hands, desperate to feel the weight of him on me again.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

He hesitated, before finally coming down to meet my mouth. “You’ll tell me if I hurt you?” Sucking on my lower lip, his voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

I nodded against his lips, even though I was fully aware that while the pain wouldn’t be physical, this beautiful man was probably going to hurt me very much eventually.

Will released my mouth, kissing along my collarbone while his hand pushed inside my shirt, finding my breast. He nuzzled into my neck as he squeezed, running a thumb over my nipple.

“Fuck, I’ve never wanted anything like I want this. I don’t know how to stay in control with you.”

I arched up into his hand, wanting,
needing
more. “Good. I want you out of control.”

“I’ve imagined this so many times. I don’t even know where to start. I want to hear you come again, I could listen to that sound every hour for the rest of my life, and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

I pulled on Will’s hair, desperate for something,
anything
to ease the ache inside of me. “Why don’t you start by taking your pants off?”

He leaned back, a small smile lifting one corner of his mouth, but instead of getting off the bed, he pulled me up with him, tugging at the hem of my t-shirt.

“Why don’t we get this off instead so I can see those perfect tits of yours.”

He slipped the top over my head, sitting back on his heels to get a good look at me and I felt every bit as naked as I actually was under his gaze. Will’s arm reached out between us, cupping my breast and taking the full weight of it in his hand.

My greedy eyes wanted to take the opportunity to explore his perfect chest again, but I couldn’t peel myself away from the hunger on his face. His eyes were devouring me whole—he was a lion, and I was his prey.

He shifted slightly and my gaze was drawn to where his body moved on the bed. I couldn’t help the way my breath caught as I glimpsed the head of his erection still poking out of his pants. I bit my lip, the weight of Will’s body the only thing stopping me from making a dive to his waistband and beyond.

“See something you like?” His voice was rough as nails.

“Do you?”

“Fuck yeah, I do.”

He moved over me again, the feel of our bare skin connecting like nothing else on this earth. Will kissed me, wet and dirty until I was sure I was going to self-combust.