WMIS 03 Play With Me (7 page)

“Yes,
control freak, he did.”

Will
chuckles softly. “Good. I trust him, he’s done all of my family’s homes and
businesses.”

“Okay.
Did you have to send him so early?”

“It’s
ten am, sweetheart.”

“I
didn’t go to bed until four,” I remind him.

“I’m
sorry, I forgot.”

“It’s
fine. I didn’t want to sleep my whole day away anyway.” I get up and start the
shower. “I’ll let you get back to your tape.”

“Okay.
Do you have tomorrow off?”

“Yeah.”

“I
have to train in the morning until about noon, but then I want to spend the
rest of the day with you.”

God,
his whispery voice is sexy as fuck.

“Sure,
what do you have in mind?”

“You’ll
find out tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at noon.”

He
hangs up and I take a long, scalding hot shower. It wakes me up and invigorates
me. I dress in a loose, floaty black tank dress and head into the kitchen, open
my laptop on the countertop. While it wakes up, I brew some coffee.

Thank
God for coffee.

I
hear drilling and see the security system guys bustling about the townhouse,
one in the front and one in the back. So while they work, I decide to work a little
too, catching up on email, Facebook and bills, while I bring up my favorite
station on internet radio.

By
the time the alarm workers are done at around six, I’m caught up with my
virtual social life, emails, made a few calls and I’m broke. Well, I will be,
anyway, when I send Sylvia her check.

I’m
shown how to set my alarm, disable it, punch in my passcode, and call for help.
It’s incredibly scary.

Not
the idea of being burgled, but how many damn steps I have to go through to arm
this fucker.

When
I’m finally alone, I slip on my flip-flops and head out for a walk through the
neighborhood. I don’t know why Will is so freaked out about my safety. My
neighborhood isn’t that bad. It’s just an average, middle-class area of
Seattle. In fact, the majority of my subdivision is townhomes. Some are condos,
and most are single or childless couples who live there. Surrounding us are
single family homes, all rather cookie-cutter, built in the last five years or
so.

It’s
not the freaking ghetto.

But
if it helps
him
sleep at night, whatever.

It’s
unseasonably warm for a late-summer day in Seattle. There’s not a cloud hanging
in the bright blue sky, and the trees are just barely starting to turn yellow.
Before we know it, they’ll turn red and then fall, leaving the trees bare.

I
wave hello to my neighbor and cross the street to my house, to see Will sitting
on my front steps, elbows braced on his jean-clad knees, wearing a black Nike
t-shirt and black Oakley sunglasses. I can’t see his eyes, but his mouth is
tilted in a half smile and I can feel him watch me saunter up to him.

As
I get closer I put a bit more swing in my hips, enjoying the way the dress
floats around my thighs, and grin down at him.

“I
thought you were picking me up tomorrow at noon.” I plant my hands on my hips
and try to look stern, but it so doesn’t work. I’m happy to see him after his
trip to San Francisco.

“I
am. But I decided to drop by, make sure the alarm was installed okay.” He
reaches his hand out for mine and pulls me into his lap. I squeal in surprise
and then giggle and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Is
that the only reason?” I smile up at him and tug his Oakleys off. His blue eyes
are happy and hot.

“I
needed to see you,” he whispers and hugs me hard, burying his face in my neck
and breathing me in.

God
he feels good.

“I
missed you,” he murmurs and kisses my cheek, then pulls back and looks me in
the eye again. “How are you?”

“I’m
good. It was a busy weekend at work, between football games and deliveries and
those pesky things we call patients.” I giggle and push my hand through his
dark blonde hair. It’s soft and feels so good, I do it again. “Seriously, thank
you, for everything you did for the kids, and for me, this past week. It far
surpassed anything any of us were expecting.”

“So,
you watched the game? Not just half-time?” He smiles, but I can tell he’s
hopeful that I did, that I watched him to support him and because I’m proud of
him.

And
I am.

“I
watched most of it, yeah. I have to cover my eyes when you get tackled. I hate
that part. And thank you for half time. That was cool.” I grin.

“You’re
welcome.” He brushes my hair behind my shoulder and looks so serious all of a
sudden.

“What’s
wrong?”

“Nothing.”
He shakes his head and smiles down at me again. “I brought pizza.”

“I
will never turn down a man with pizza.” I scramble out of his lap and unlock
the door, then lead the way inside.

“Why
the fuck isn’t your alarm set?”

Chapter Six

I
spin around and glare at him, and plant my hands on my hips. “I was gone for
fifteen minutes, Will. In the sunlight. Why the fuck are you freaking out?”

“Will
you please, for the love of God, set the damn alarm when you leave the house?”
His words are measured, and it’s obvious he’s trying really, really hard to
stay calm.

“Can
I leave it off when I check the mail?” I ask sarcastically.

He
purses his lips like he’s thinking really hard, the smart ass.

“Yes.”

“Gee,
thanks. Now, give me that pizza before I throw you out for being so bossy.”

He
grins, holds the pizza out of my reach, and shuts the door behind him and locks
it. “What’s your code?”

“What
if you’re the one I’m trying to keep out?” I ask with a sassy grin. He raises
one eyebrow at me and waits for an answer. “That look doesn’t work on me.”

“I
won’t share my pizza if you don’t tell me.”

“Bribing
me with pizza?” I scoff. He grins and shrugs, and he’s so damn adorable in this
moment, I’d tell him my blood type, social security and grandmother’s maiden
name, if I knew it. “Fine. One two three four.”

“Your
code is one two three four?” he asks with a laugh.

“I’ll
remember it.”

He
shakes his head and leads me to the kitchen, still holding the pizza over his
head.

“Will
you please explain to me why you’re so adamant about the alarm? I’ve never had
any issues in this neighborhood, Will. It’s perfectly safe here.” I follow him
and pull down plates for our meal.

He
takes a look around the small kitchen and grins. “It looks different in here in
the light.”

Ah
yes, the last time he was here, I was drunk as fuck and he had to take care of
me.

“I
like this kitchen,” he continues.

I
look around the space and grin. This kitchen is what sold me on the townhouse.
It’s open to the living room, has light granite countertops and light wood
cabinets, making it feel bright and cheerful.

“Thanks.
Now spill it, Montgomery.”

Will
sighs and slides pizza on the two plates, and hands me mine.

“Beer?”
he asks.

“Fridge.”

He
pulls out two beers, pops the tops and leads me to the living room. I sit on
the couch and he folds himself onto the floor, leaning against the couch. I can
feel the warmth of him against my leg.

“I
know I sound really controlling about the alarm, Meg. But it’s really important
to me because as our relationship progresses, people will try to get to you.
Press, weird fans, people with morbid curiosity. And like I said before, I’m
gone a lot, and I don’t live here with you, so I can’t be here all the time to
protect you.” He pauses to eat and frowns as he thinks.

I’m
just speechless.
As our relationship progresses?
I’m stuck like stupid
on that one sentence.

“What
relationship?” I ask, confused. “We’ve known each other for three minutes. We
haven’t even had a whole date.”

Will’s
jaw drops and he blinks rapidly, then clenches his jaw and glares at me.

“What,
exactly, do you think I’m trying to pursue here, Megan? If I just wanted to
fuck you and bail, I would have backed off as soon as you told me no at my
sister’s party.” He shakes his head and pushes his pizza away.

“I
just…” I begin, but he interrupts me, not hearing me.

“Yes,
it’s early, but fuck Megan, all I do is think about you. You’ve gotten under my
skin. I want to learn your body. I want to know what it feels like to sink
inside of you.” He swallows hard and so do I as I squeeze my thighs together
and feel myself go wet.

“But
I also want to know what makes you laugh. What pisses you off. What you’re
passionate about. I just want to learn everything about you. You’re in my head,
and I haven’t felt this way in a long time. Jesus, I don’t give shout-outs to
women during every game for fuck sake.”

He
looks truly rattled and I soften, just a bit. Moving fast? A little. But he
wants me safe, and I can appreciate that.

We
have a relationship. Huh.

“I
want to get to know you too,” I murmur and smile happily.

“So,”
he continues and looks up at me with serious blue eyes. “Please be patient with
me, and just set the damn alarm when you leave, and when you’re alone inside.”

“Okay,”
I shrug like it’s no big, and continue eating my pizza.

“You’re
not going to argue?”

“No,
why would I? It’s just an alarm. But I don’t like being bossed around, so just
talk to me about stuff, okay?”

Will
smirks and sets both of our empty plates aside. He lifts himself onto the
couch, his arms flexing all sexy-like and I just sit back and watch him move.

He’s
just so…
hot.

Suddenly,
he’s pulling me in his arms, settles me against him, kisses the top of my head
and grabs the remote to my television.

“What
are you doing?” I ask with a laugh.

“Watching
TV.”

“Why?”

“Because
you won’t let me make love to you, so I have to distract myself somehow.”

Holy
shit on a stick.

I
gape up at him. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about the three date rule?”

“Are
you turning this whole pizza and TV thing into a date?” I ask him, suddenly
hopeful.

“You
noticed.” He kisses my nose and smiles proudly at me.

“Then
no, I haven’t changed my mind.” I settle against him and watch him flip through
the channels. When he gets to the movie channels, and finds them blocked out,
he frowns down at me.

“No
movie channels?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“They
charge an arm and a leg for them, and I wouldn’t watch them often anyway. I
just go to one of the kiosk things for movies when I’m in the mood.”

“Hmm,
okay.” His hand is moving rhythmically up and down my side, gently caressing me
through my dress. My arm is around his lean waist, and I really, really want to
feel his smooth skin, so I lift the hem of his soft shirt and slide my hand
under it against his ripped abs. He sucks in a breath and his stomach tightens,
but as he gets used to my touch, he exhales and kisses the top of my head.

I
smile smugly as I feel him lift the hem of my dress and slide his hand under
it, caressing my skin along my thigh.

God,
that feels good.

I
sigh and continue to touch him, enjoying his skin, the way his breath hitches
when I hit a ticklish spot. I feel him wince when I touch one of his ribs and I
frown up at him.

“Does
that hurt?”

“A
little,” his face is calm and he doesn’t explain further. I move my hand
lightly over the rib again and he grimaces.

“A
little, my ass.” I climb over him and pull his shirt up so I can see his ribs
and sure enough, there is a deep purple bruise. “Sunday?” I ask.

“Yeah.
No big deal.”

I
glare up at him and then down at the bruise again. “I don’t like it.”

“I’m
not in love with it myself, sweetheart,” he laughs and pulls me back to him.

“Does
this happen a lot?”

“Meg,
I have three hundred pound guys crashing into me. Of course I get bumped and
bruised. I’ll live.”

I
frown again and look down at his chest, not saying anything. I hate the thought
of him getting hurt.

He
tilts my head back with his fingers on my chin and smiles softly down at me.
“I’m okay.”

I
run my fingers down his smooth cheek. His eyes close as he leans into my touch,
then he kisses my palm, and pins me with those blue eyes.