Pure Will (9 page)

Chapter—Camden

Will’s kiss did things to me that I didn’t know were possible. Granted, it had been almost five years since I’d been kissed the way he kissed me. But back then, I didn’t remember feeling it in every part of my body or so intensely between my legs.  A huge difference between my first kiss and Will’s kiss. Max never made me feel safe or protected.

Regardless of how much I wanted to spend time with Will, a huge physics test waited for me on Monday.

“I have to study,” I said a few days later at his house as he kissed my neck. “You promised if I came by while you worked out and lifted that you’d let me study.”

“And I fully intend to. But give me just one kiss then come into my gym with me.”

So I did. I gave him the best kiss I had to offer and when I ended the kiss and pulled away, he growled. Wrigley rose to all fours when Will growled like an animal.

“Now, go work that off!” I teased.

He raised his eyes and smiled yanking me down the hallway to a bedroom door…my heart escalated. But when he opened the door, a gym like I’d never seen was in there. I think he’d combined two rooms, and there were mirrors on every wall. Wrigley went straight to a pillow in the corner.

“Sit,” he ordered. “And for me to work off what you just did to me, would be an entirely different work out.” He winked, walked over to a rope that was suspended from the ceiling, and scaled it like it was nothing. I wasn’t sure I could even hold myself up let alone pull myself all the way up it! Then with great control, he brought himself back down.

Then he bent, heaved up a bar with weights, popped it up to his chin while squatting, then lowered it again. After that, he did it about ten more times. Then what did he do, he climbed the rope again! Weight lifters have always been kind of gross to me. Grotesquely large. Veins popping. No necks. Walk side to side rather than normal. But Will…his body defined sexy. If you Googled sexy, Will’s picture would pop up. Like on the cover of People of the sexiest man alive. I couldn’t really say they were soft muscles because they bulged like they were going to rip through his skin…but he was lean…thin and as he popped the weight bar up to his chin again, I stared at the perfect V that framed his abs, and the perfect belly button and patch of hair just beneath.

“Aren’t you supposed to be studying?” he asked winking again.

I smiled. “I
was
studying…the human body.”

He laughed, wiping his sweat with a towel; a sheen of sweat coated his body like a layer of wax on a car. “As much as I like you studying me, you’ll have time for that later. Don’t make me lock you out.” He pointed to the book on my lap.

Knowing he was right, I tried to review my chapter, but then he moved to two rings, like what gymnasts use and started heaving himself up and down over and over and over forcing the muscles in his back and arms and chest to tighten. I was going to have to leave.  Tension filled my body…SEXUAL TENSION!  There was no way in hell physics was going to win.

As I left his ‘gym’ I turned right down the hallway and went into an actual bedroom. I smiled. This was his room, I had no doubt. The bed was made and a computer sat next to the clock on the nightstand. The color was a deep tan and his brown comforter and plaid pillows were perfect.

A picture of Will and another guy with their arms around each other sat framed next to his bed. They could pass for brothers. The black frame wasn’t a cheap frame; and it was heavy when I picked it up. With my finger, I traced over the glass. Will’s eyes sparkled in the picture, forcing me to smile. His happiness in the picture was evident.

Wrigley followed me into the room and lay on the pillow next to the bed. I was nervous about sprawling out across his bed but did it anyway, laying on my stomach and opening my book. The comforter smelled clean and the bed was soft. I couldn’t help but wonder what he would think finding me here. Chapter 2…Static equilibrium…blah!

Chapter—Will

I carried the two sweaty towels to the laundry room after my workout and was surprised not to see Cam on the sofa. After dropping them in the hamper, I went to the kitchen, passed through the dining room, then started to panic a bit. I shot a quick look on the patio…nothing. My walk had become a jog and I darted past the gym and down to my bedroom. Relief mixed with I don’t know what—seeing her curled up in a ball, under my throw, in the middle of my bed, with the ceiling fan blowing down on her…asleep. Wrigley was on my freaking bed too. One eye opened and peeked at me, then he closed it again. No girl had ever been in my house, let alone my bed and yet I found this incredibly relaxing and comforting seeing her there. I wanted her there.

Quietly, I made my way to the bathroom off the bedroom and jumped in the shower, quickly soaped up, washed off the sweat, dried myself, threw on a pair of sweat shorts and found her in the same position. Damn she was cute. Her lips were neither in a smile nor a frown, just relaxed fully. Her red hair draped over one of my pillows. I made a mental note to sleep on that pillow tonight.  The underneath of her hair seemed to be a deeper red than the blonder locks on top.

Wrigley wouldn’t even look at me. I snapped my fingers and she hopped up and got down. Camden stirred a bit but didn’t’ wake. Praying it wouldn’t make her uncomfortable, I slid next to her body keeping the blanket between us. She startled awake. Damn it!

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” I whispered.

Her entire body went rigid in a stretch. “Hey…” she moaned and spooned into me and I swear my heart dissolved into nothing at that moment and somehow joined hers. Call it osmosis of sorts. Call it bullshit. I don’t care she had my heart that’s the bottom line.

“Are you mad at me?” she asked.

This shocked me. “Why would I be mad at you?”

She rolled inward, facing me and snuggled closer. “For coming in here. Making myself at home.”

“Not even in the slightest,” I said kissing the top of her head. “Did you get your studying done?”

“I studied for an hour or so.”

I lay there, fingering through her hair and watching the ceiling fan rotate. Heavenly. This was so new to me.

“Tell me something about you,” I asked.

“Like what?”

“Anything. I dig a girl I don’t know that well.  Where are you from? What do you like?  What do you hate? What do you want to be?”

“Hmmm. Plano, Texas. Mexican food. Grasshoppers. A petroleum engineer.”

Wow!

“You go,” she said.

“Hmmm,” I mimicked her. “Not far away. Clean sheets. Bullies. A petroleum engineer.”

Her eyes widened as I gazed down at her. “Really?”

I nodded. “I finish my masters this year. And why if you are from Texas did you come up here for a petroleum engineering degree? A&M is one of the best.”

“My mother went to school at KU and that’s one of the last things I remember her talking about.” Sadness touched her face, and I didn’t like that.

“You speak of her in past tense?”

“She died when I was 9. Long story short. She wasn’t supposed to have children. I was her little miracle. But then she got pregnant again with my brother. It was a high-risk pregnancy. She was on bed rest for a long time. We would lay and watch TV together.”

She was smiling now as she recalled these memories and my heart expanded in size.

“There was an old TV show called Little House on the Prairie. Have you ever heard of it?”

I nodded. “I had to read the books in elementary school.”

A warm smile spread across her face. “We watched them. Her and I, as she lay in bed. And she seemed to be getting sicker.  Turned out something was going on with her kidneys. She wanted to carry to term but they ended up inducing her. They don’t know what happened really, but in the end, parts of her started shutting down. She was so happy when they got Fen out, but he died too a day after her. I miss her so much sometimes.”

Without hesitation, my arms snaked around until I couldn’t get her any closer. “I’m sorry Cam.”

“It’s ok. She loved me and I loved her and sometimes I think God gave us that time when she was on bed rest for a reason. Sound dumb?”

“No baby. That doesn’t sound dumb at all. I couldn’t tell her that God and I were at odds right now.”

So many things made sense now.  Her not learning the wrong and rights of sex from her mother but instead a prick of a stepbrother.

“I so wanted Tracy to be that mom I needed when I was 15, but we know how that worked out,” she said shaking her head.

This girl in my arms had no one that was there for her a hundred percent of the time. Wait, that wasn’t true. Kate was. And to think I possibly came in between that.  But Kate knew.  She knew the pain Cam had been through and she was truly a best friend. She had her back through and through without a doubt. I would forever be grateful to Kate for that.

“What a Debbie Downer, eh?” she grinned.

“Those are things I want to know. You can’t be a Happy…Henrietta all the time.”

“Happy Henrietta?? Oh my God! You did not just say that!” She said rising up onto her knees and staring down at me.

“I’m sorry Captain Creative, that wasn’t good enough for you,” I teased.

“It’s ok. Sammy Sorryass that you can’t come up with something quicker…Mr. Masters degree.”

My eyes were watering from laughing and she straddled my waist.

“No worries…Mary Meanie if it make’s you feel better to lash out at others.”

Her hands skated the length of me…from neck to navel…causing a hitch in my breath.

“You are an extremely Sexy Sammy,” she whispered circling my belly button.  “How have you stayed single so long?”

I rolled my eyes. “Picky I guess.”

“Who is Matty?” she asked, lightly tracing over the tattoo and my heart sank. Her pain was a few years in the making. Mine was fresher…more raw.  Unsure how well I could hold it together, I shook my head.

“You won’t tell me?

“I will tell you…maybe just not right now,” I explained. In that brief moment a grimace shot across her face before she hid it with a smile.  Damn it Will. It’s ok to talk about it…   She’d shared about her mother and about the dickhead and you are holding back.

“Just one question, is it a nickname for a girl?” she asked with red tinting her cheeks.

Hot damn this girl was cute and I couldn’t control the smile that spread across my own face.  I brushed the red curls from her face. “Is somebody jealous?”

“I don’t know yet. Depends if you had her name tattooed beneath your heart,” she said, shrugged and bit down on her lower lip.

With my thumb, I pulled her bottom lip free. “Matty was my brother,” I whispered and it hurt like hell even saying that much.  I glanced down to make sure my chest wasn’t caving in.

She slid off of me, which I didn’t like, and laid on her side facing me so I rolled to my side.

“You said
was
your brother…”

As my head spun, I tried to focus on her. On her feelings. But the knot in my stomach tightened and I rolled off the bed.  I couldn’t…wouldn’t cry in front of her. I couldn’t cry at all.

“Will?” she said softly.

“Hold up, I’m gonna grab a drink.”

I knew when I walked away that this would possibly hurt her but I needed distance just for a few. Then I would do whatever was necessary to make it up to her.

After retrieving the water bottle from the fridge, I’d drained half the water by the time I felt her hands graze over my back.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Talking about Matty cut deep, it was like pouring salt in an open wound, but I needed to give her something. I swiveled into her touch and now her palms lay flat against my abs.

“Please don’t apologize. Someday soon, I will tell you,” I explained.

“I’ve told you everything it seems. About my mom.  About Fen. About Max,” she whispered his name.

“Where’d your brother’s name come from?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fenway Park,” she said with distaste.

“Do you absolutely hate baseball?” I smiled.

“We are back talking about me. Will, tell me something. Please.”

I lifted her by her underarms and sat her on the countertop then slid between her legs. “What do you want to know, Camden? I’m a graduate of KU, second year grad school in engineering, cross-fit champ.” I winked trying to get her to smile. “I’ll tell you something else…where do you think the name Wrigley came from?”

Her shoulders jetted up and down, then recognition settled over her.

“Wrigley Field?” she asked with bugged eyes.

I nodded.

“Oh my God! Camden Yards. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field!”

It was a bit eerie to me that was the case. I wondered if she felt that too.

“Wow.  That’s sort of creepy even,” she said.

“Creepy? No. Uncanny? Yes. What else do you want to know?” I asked.

“Your mom and dad are proud of you? Are they still together?”

Matty made me want to cry. This story would make me laugh.

“My…parents. You ever watched the movie The Notebook?”

A broad smile swept over her face and she nodded eagerly.

“If you like that movie, you’ll like this story.”

Her wide, innocent eyes stared at me…waiting.

“My dad came from the wrong side of the tracks. His family was less well off, I guess. My mom came from money. A lot of money. And when she started dating my dad, grandpa was pissed. Forbid them to see each other.  But Mom was crazy about her guy. They married the first time when Mom was 19 and Dad was 23. They divorced when grandpa sent her away to college. Dad went after her. While she attended Northwestern, he worked in Chicago to stay close. He got arrested twice for battery,” I chuckled saying this.

“What did he do?” she laughed with me.

“Beat up any guy who got too close to her.”

Her brows shot up. “You mean like swearing to break their fingers if they touched her again?”

She was making reference to my encounter with Landon the baseball player.

I grinned. “Something like that,” I said locking her neck in my elbow and pulling her into me. She giggled.