Say You Will (12 page)

“You know what I think? You should shut up and take me.” She tugged his head to bring his mouth to hers.

There was no resisting her. The taste of her, the feel of her under his hands—perfection. Something in him surged, pushing him to take her.

He’d never had any choice.

As he lifted her in his arms, he promised himself he’d make it work somehow. He’d overcome the damage from Summer’s lies. He couldn’t resist Rosalind any longer.

“Are you taking me to your bedroom?” Rosalind asked as she kissed him.

“Yes.” Hell yes, he was. He carried her the short distance, not caring that the bed was in disarray or that he had clothes piled in a corner to take to the cleaners. He lowered her to the mattress and followed her down.

She nestled into the downy bedding, her arms stretched above her head and a slumberous look in her eyes. “Finally. I’ve been waiting for this forever.”

He had, too, despite his better judgment. He brushed her hair away from her face. It was everything he could do not to tear her clothes off and push himself into her. He ran a hand up her body, over her clothes until he cupped her breast. “It’s been a test of my will.”

“I think you should prove how much you want me.” She wiggled out of her top and tossed it aside.

She had a lacy, barely-there bra on, in red, matching the panties he knew she wore under the pants. The lace did nothing to cover the rosy circles of her nipples.

“I don’t think proving how much I want you is going to be a problem.” Straddling her waist, he sat up, unable to take his eyes off her. He thumbed her nipples, loving the way she moaned and writhed under his hands.

He lowered his head and took one in his mouth, over the thin lace. Her fingers raked his hair. “
Nick.
”

The need in her voice went straight below his waist. He sat up and quickly divested her of her pants and underwear. He let his gaze roam over her beautiful naked body as he stripped out of his clothes. He covered her body with his, closing his eyes at the amazing feel.

Sighing, she wrapped her limbs around him. “Don’t you feel foolish for holding out as long as you did?”

“Foolish is one word that comes to mind.” Idiotic was another, he thought as his hard-on nestled against her soft abdomen.

It was the perfect place. He nuzzled the crook of her neck, inhaling her, feeling her squirm under him as though she wasn’t close enough yet.

All her wriggling was going to make him lose it. To distract himself, he reached for a condom, tucked between the mattress and the floor.

“Clever hiding place,” she said, licking the base of his neck and kissing her way to his chin. “You should hurry up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He suited up, tossing the wrapper aside. Using his fingers, he felt her, felt her desire—the silky skin, bare of anything but wetness for him.

“Yes.” She sighed, opening her legs wider. “Touch me.”

He looked between them, saw the small triangle, his finger sliding between her swollen folds, and felt himself grow harder.

“I need you,” she whispered. “Next time I promise I’ll last longer and make it fun, but I need you now.”

He chuckled mirthless, taking himself in hand. “You can’t possibly think this isn’t fun.”

“I—”

He positioned himself and slipped inside, groaning at the snug, warm feel of her around him. He surged inside her once, twice, and then again until she writhed under him.

She bucked up, and they rolled, her left leg dangling from the edge of the bed as she propped herself up with her hands on his chest. “You’re right. This is fun.”

Holding her hips, he looked up at her, her hair flowing over her shoulders and the wild, sexy smile on her face. As worked up as he was, as close to the edge, something in his heart melted. He lifted up to kiss her. “This is better than fun,” he murmured against her lips.

“Isn’t it?” She closed her eyes and rolled her hips. “I want to do it again. I know we haven’t finished this time, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong to looking forward to the next.”

He chuckled, and then he moaned as she swiveled in a particularly delicious way.

Her head fell back, eyes closed. “I’m so close,” she said, almost to herself.

Wanting to push her over the edge, he held firm onto her hips and let her ride him. He loved the ecstasy on her face, the flush that rose up her chest to her cheeks.

“Yes,” she whispered. Then louder, her fingers raking his chest, “
Yes.
”

He watched her come, like a glorious wild thing. Inflamed with her passion, he rolled them over—

Right off the bed.

Neither one of them cared. She was still coming, her leg hitched behind his knee. He drove himself into her, over and over, wanting to join her.

Needing to join her.

He felt it build, and then it exploded, spreading out through his whole body. He cried out as she did again, stiffening with pleasure.

Then he slumped on top of her, sated.

After a long moment, he started to slide to the side so he wouldn’t crush her.

“Stay.” She held him tight, right where he was. She burrowed her head into his neck. “Thank you for not backing out. I know our situation isn’t ideal, and that’s given you pause, but sometimes I think …”

When she didn’t finish her thought, he prompted her. “What do you think?”

Opening her eyes, she cupped his face. “I just think if we wanted, we could make it work.”

He nodded slowly, feeling his heart beat harder in a tempo that was forever altered—in the rhythm of love. He touched her lips, traced the line of her neck, and cupped her face. “When it gets difficult, promise me you’ll remember this moment.
This
is true. This is what we are.”

Her expression sobered, but she nodded somberly. “I will, Nick.”

He heard the vow, but he wished he could trust her to keep it. Because when she found out about Summer, all bets were off.

Chapter Sixteen

“Bloody weed,” Em muttered, trying to wrestle the lettuce from the pot. She poked at the base with the spade, trying to dislodge it so she could put it in the bigger pot. It wasn’t cooperating, and she was worried that she’d leave part of the root in the dirt—a big no-no according to Ben.

“Uh, Em?” Ben squatted down next to her, brow furrowed in concern. “That’s chard.”

“It’s bloody stubborn chard.” She grunted as she felt it loosen in the dirt. “Almost.”

“No, Em, you’re supposed to replant the baby lettuce.”

She frowned at it. “Isn’t that what this is?”

“No, this is chard.”

“So you don’t eat it?”

“Well, yes, you do.”

She looked down at it. It was leafy, and you could eat it, but it wasn’t lettuce? How did that make sense?

Ben cleared his throat as he lifted the chard away and set a different pot in front of her. “Your enthusiasm is nice though.”

The new plant in front of her looked exactly the same as the last, but instead of pointing that out she just smiled sweetly.

He patted her shoulder and got up. She watched him walk over to where some teenagers were supposed to be raking and cajole them into getting back to work.

He was so good with kids. She poked at the plant in front of her, trying to picture him next to her as they brought their first child home. He held them in his strong arms, cuddled on their couch, smiling in wonder at what they’d created. She’d turn her head and look up into his face—

Only the face she saw was Joe’s, and he looked at her and the baby adoringly. He also sat there bare-chested, and it was
nice
.

She shook her head, trying to change the channel in her mind to get back on track, but she couldn’t get her mind to imagine Ben sitting next to her where he belonged.

A shadow fell over her, and she sighed as she grabbed the lettuce by the bottom of the stalk where it disappeared into the dirt. “I’ve got it this time.”

“You’ve more than got it.” Joe crouched in front of her. He wore jeans and a soft-looking sweater under his coat. “Fancy meeting you here.”

She denied the zap of excitement that hit her right in the chest by frowning. “Are you following me?”

“Perhaps.” He smiled winningly. “But it’s charming as opposed to creepy, because you like me.”

She couldn’t stop the hint of a smile from curving her lips. “Do I?”

“Definitely. Come to lunch with me, and I’ll prove to you how much you like me.”

“I have lettuce,” she said, wilting as she looked at all the plants waiting to be repotted.

“
Carpe diem
, darling. There will always be lettuce.”

“Em.” Ben towered over them, hands in his pocket as he frowned at Joe. “Is everything all right?”

“Why wouldn’t everything be all right?” Why was he looking at her with disapproval? She had the right plant this time—he’d made sure of it.

Then he transferred his glare to Joe.

Was he jealous?

She mentally snorted. Couldn’t be. More likely he was annoyed that Joe had interrupted her work. She yanked the plant out of the dirt, wincing because she swore she heard it screech, like how she always wanted to when she got her eyebrows waxed.

The real question: What should she do? Send Joe away?

She really didn’t want to, and that thought surprised her more than anything.

“Em?” Ben asked, his frown deepening.

She smiled brightly. “Joe’s just—”

“A friend,” Joe said, standing up. “Trying to convince Em that she needs to eat.”

“Are you hungry, Em?” Ben asked, as though confused by the possibility.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“She’s always hungry”—Joe winked at her, his tone overly suggestive—”and I appreciate her appetite.”

She gave him a look that clearly told him to shut it.

He just smiled at her unrepentantly and then faced Ben. “Knowing Em, she’s your most valuable worker, but tell her she can come have lunch with me.”

Ben’s frown increased in displeasure. “Do you want to, Em?”

She wanted
him
to ask her to eat with him, but apparently that wasn’t a logical conclusion to draw. Annoyed, she stuck the plant in the new pot and tossed the spade down. “Yes, I do.”

She felt vindicated when his face clouded over. She gave him an icy smile as she took off the gloves and handed them to him. “Perhaps you can have the boys finish this.”

“Yes,” Ben said faintly, as if perplexed by the turn of events.

She faced Joe and gave him a look of retribution. “Shall we?”

“By all means.” He held his hand out, motioning her ahead of him.

Like she was the queen, she held her head high and marched out of the greenhouse into the café. She glanced back at him. “Give me a moment to wash up?”

“Of course.”

She didn’t have second thoughts until she rejoined Joe. He leaned against a wall, hands in his pockets, waiting for her. His face lit with a smile when he saw her, and her belly quivered in response.

That was
not
good. Neither was the fact that he looked temptingly sexy and available. She should tell him that she couldn’t go, that she needed to return home to work on her collage.

Only then he took her elbow. He smelled so good, and he looked at her like she was his sun. How could she resist him?

“Ready?” he asked.

Not at all. She tried to smile, hoping if she looked hungry he’d mistake it for food and not for him.

He led her to a dark sedan parked at the curb, opening the door for her.

“This is your car?” she asked in shock.

“I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re asking.” He arched his brow, waiting for her to get in.

She’d expected him to have a racy sports car, something sleek and sexy—not something that belonged to a family man. Trying to cover her confusion, she asked the first question that came to mind. “How did you manage to park right here?”

“Parking karma, darling.” He flashed her a grin. When she was settled in, he closed the door securely and went around to his side.

She liked having the door opened for her. It was probably very un-feminist of her, but she didn’t care. It had nothing to do with needing someone to help her and everything to do with someone showing he cared for her, the way a mother should for her child.

She’d never had that, from her mother or a man.

She wondered if Ben was the chivalrous type. Try as she did, she couldn’t picture it.

The driver’s side door closed, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked around the car, inhaled the leather, and then looked at the gorgeous man next to her. This was what going to a hotel for an afternoon of debauchery would feel like. Exciting and decadent.

She did
not
belong here.

“I think you’ll like this restaurant,” Joe said, smiling at her. In the close confines of the car, the smile was much more intimate than any she’d ever received from him, and it dared her to be wicked.

Murmuring something incoherent, she strapped herself in and edged closer to the door.

They didn’t drive far, pulling up to what looked like an average home in a modest neighborhood. There was no sign or anything that suggested the posh sort of restaurant she’d expect Joe to select. He guided her to the door and pressed the buzzer.

They were let in by a motherly woman with a warm smile. She matched the décor: charming and cozy, nothing modern or pretentious about it.

It was quite busy for a Sunday afternoon, but they were seated quickly, in a warm spot by a fireplace. Em brushed a streak of dirt from her pants, glad she’d dressed cute instead of practical for gardening.

Joe handed her a menu. “You know what’s going to happen now.”

“We order food?”

“Ben will ask you on a date.” He arched his brow, focused on her instead of the menu in his hand. “He saw another dog sniffing around his discarded toy, and now he suddenly realizes he wants the toy for himself.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Am I supposed to be pleased being compared to a dog’s toy?”

“It’s the most apt analogy I could think of on the fly.”

Ben certainly
had
looked territorial—in his way. She should have been happy about it, but at the moment Joe’s concern over the situation thrilled her more.