by Aurora Rey
Will’s face relaxed, but she still didn’t seem satisfied. “Can I help? I could crash on a sofa for a couple of hours and be good to go.”
The eagerness in her voice, and the sincerity, softened Nora. “Really, you’ve done enough.”
“Unless,” Graham removed her arm from Nora’s shoulder and went over to bump Will’s, “you’re simply angling to stay over. I know you rode over with Emerson and Darcy.”
“I…”
The look of discomfort on Will’s face softened her further. “You are most welcome to stay. I can even offer you a bed.” The subtext of Nora’s words hit her and she continued. “The room next to Graham’s is empty. Please, take it. It’s the least I can offer.”
“Stay.” Graham nudged Will again. “You can help with breakfast then go tromping out in the snow.”
“You can have breakfast,” Nora amended. “No help required.”
Will seemed to think on it for a moment. “I would never pass up an opportunity to spend the night at Failte.” Then she smiled. It held the same confidence as when she’d talked about building things—charming and dangerous as hell.
Nora swallowed. What had gotten into her? She nodded briskly, afraid her thoughts might be showing on her face. “Excellent. Graham, will you show Will where everything is? Both of you feel free to sleep in tomorrow. Thank you for everything.”
Nora took one final look around the kitchen, nodded, then headed to her room. Will watched her leave, then turned her attention to Graham. “Thanks for scoring me a sleepover.”
Graham shrugged. “The room’s empty. And you really shouldn’t have to walk home at two in the morning.”
“Without boots.”
“Especially without boots.” Graham led the way to a bedroom off the main hall by the stairs. She opened the door and bowed. “After you.”
Will entered the room as Graham flipped on a light. It was close to twice the size of Graham’s room, with a four-poster bed, an antique dresser, and a plush chair in the corner. “I don’t think I’ve ever slept in a room this nice.”
“Wait till you feel the mattress.” Graham walked past her and undid a latch on a door. “I’ll be right back.”
Graham left the room, leaving Will to wonder where she’d gone. A minute later, Will heard a clicking sound and the door Graham had unlatched opened. “Hi.”
“Ah. I get it.”
“Aunt Nora installed locks on both sides when I came for the summer. She didn’t want guests to think someone might have access to their room.”
“Or you to worry about curious or confused people stumbling into yours.” It was kind of a genius setup.
“Exactly. You want something to sleep in?”
Sleeping naked probably wasn’t advisable, so Will nodded. “That would be great.”
Graham disappeared again and returned with a pair of sweatpants and a shirt that had Chatham written on it in the shape of a shark. “This is the most boyish thing I have.”
Will smiled. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
Will took the clothes, but Graham didn’t step back. They stood like that for a moment, neither of them speaking. Will tried to think of something funny that would break the awkwardness that seemed to be growing by the second. Before she could, Graham came even closer. Will knew what was coming, knew she needed to prevent it. She froze.
The press of Graham’s lips, soft and tasting lightly of champagne, jerked her back to her senses. She pulled away. “Graham.”
Graham’s eyes opened. Surprise quickly morphed into embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”
Will pushed through her own surprise and mustered a smile. “Don’t apologize. Please.”
Graham shook her head. “I am, though. I don’t know where that came from.”
Will wanted to believe her. It was much easier than—and far preferable to—any other explanation. “New Year’s can do that to a person.”
Graham smiled brightly. “Exactly.”
“So, we’re cool?”
“Totally cool.” Graham backed away in the direction of her room. “Do you need anything else?”
Will didn’t want to make things weirder by asking Graham if she was sure she was okay. Instead, she offered a smile. “I’m good. I’m sure I’ll be out the second my head hits the pillow.”
“Okay. Cool.” Graham nodded vigorously. “Night.”
“Night.” Graham closed the door.
Will waited ten seconds in case she came back. When she didn’t, Will undressed and put on the T-shirt. She eyed the sweatpants, then pulled back the covers and brought them into the bed with her. That way, she could get them on quickly if she needed to. She settled herself in and felt the mattress mold to the shape of her body.
Oh. It was nice. She could definitely get used to this.
She realized the overhead light was still on, so she got out of bed, flipped it off, and got back in. Better.
Will sighed into the darkness. Despite telling Graham she’d fall right asleep, she took a moment to process her night. Starting with that weird kiss. Will didn’t know exactly how much Graham had to drink, but she’d probably gotten at least a little bit buzzed. Will didn’t judge. She’d had plenty of her own ill-advised advances after one too many beers, especially in her twenties. Hopefully, everything would be normal by morning. And hopefully, Graham wouldn’t be nursing too terrible a hangover.
Feeling like the matter was settled, she turned her thoughts to the party itself. It had been great—sophisticated without being stuffy. Exactly the kind of party she wanted to throw with Kai. Only Kai got so stressed about everything being perfect and they would end up having a huge fight before the guests arrived and it would put a damper on the whole evening. Nora struck her as a perfectionist, but not someone who lost her cool on a regular basis.
Of course, she’d seemed a little flustered when Will wished her a happy new year. Which was odd considering Will had simply kissed her on the cheek. Oh, she’d wanted to do more. It had taken every bit of self-restraint she could muster not to bury her hands in Nora’s hair and pull her close and…
Will coughed. Even though she was alone, something about having those kinds of thoughts about Nora in a bed in Nora’s house made her feel weird. Like she was being too forward, or somehow disrespectful.
She chuckled at her strange sense of propriety. Emerson had accused her of being chivalrous. She’d also accused Will of letting that sense of chivalry lead her into bad situations, accept things that were otherwise unacceptable. Will didn’t like to think of it that way, but it certainly played into how out of hand things got with Kai.
Although no one was in the room to see her, Will shook her head. Kai was behind her. In front of her, Nora. Whether or not things with Nora went anywhere, thinking about her was a much better way to spend her time. She closed her eyes and thought about the smoothness of Nora’s skin and the subtle fragrance of her perfume when Will got close to her. She thought about what it would have been like to slide a hand around her waist. Respectfully, of course.
Those were the thoughts she took with her as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Ten
After New Year’s, Graham had only a few days before heading back to school for her final semester. Nora helped her pack, including a couple of boxes that would need to be shipped. She’d miss her, but Nora was proud of her for finishing a master’s degree. Hopefully, she’d find a job that kept her on the East Coast, so their visits would be sporadic and not nonexistent. As they drove along Route 6 to Boston, Nora kept those thoughts to herself. As much as she might like to have Graham close, she wanted her to end up wherever she had the best opportunity.
Graham, who’d been surprisingly quiet for the first half of the drive, turned to her. “You should hire Will to help out.”
Nora took her eyes off the road long enough to give Graham a bland stare. “Really?”
Graham folded her arms in exasperation. “Are you trying to tell me you’re unhappy with the work she’s done al
ready?”
Nora sighed. “She’s done very good work.”
“Exactly. We didn’t even get to all the painting. I know you have more you want done. And you yourself said January is dead.”
“I know.” She couldn’t admit that the prospect of spending time alone with Will left her uncomfortable. At least not out loud. She’d come to terms with the fact that she both found Will attractive and didn’t trust her. Saying as much to Graham would only make matters worse.
“What? I can see the wheels in your head turning.”
“Maybe you’re right.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Graham narrowed her eyes. “Right about what?”
“Right about taking Will on. I’d hoped to get all the painting done, but with help, I might be able to refinish the stairs, too.” In explaining to Graham, Nora convinced herself it was true. She wanted the work done, after all. And she certainly had the self-restraint not to do anything stupid.
Graham beamed. “See? It would be great to take care of all of that while things are quiet.”
Nora nodded. “You give me her number and I’ll reach out to her tomorrow.”
“I’ll do you one better.” Graham pulled out her phone.
“Don’t call her now.”
“I’m just sending her a quick text. Give her a heads up.”
“Just send me her number. I’m capable of sending a text.” Nora returned her attention to the road and hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.
Graham rolled her eyes. “Fine. It’s not like I won’t text her about something else anyway.”
“I wish you weren’t so attached to her,” Nora couldn’t help saying.
“Why not? She’s a great person.”
Nora fell back on her initial assessment, although it felt less and less accurate. Or fair. “She’s a person who’s a lot older and yet a lot less settled than you. I worry she might take advantage of you.”
Nora glanced at Graham, who rolled her eyes dramatically. “I wish.”
“Graham.”
“I’m serious. She’s hot. And sweet and funny. She could take advantage of me any day of the week.” Graham huffed out a sigh. “Not that she’s interested.”
Nora had no intention of acting on her own attraction, but Graham’s comment was like a giant bucket of ice water to the face. And to her libido. Which was probably for the best. “You can do better than her.”
“I don’t know why you would say that.” Graham crossed her arms defiantly. “You’re worse than my mother.”
She hadn’t meant to sound so callous, or to start an argument. Nor did she want Graham leaving on a sour note. “I’m sorry. I just think you’re a very special person and you deserve someone who is smart and ambitious and will worship the ground you walk on.”
That seemed only to make her pout more. “You talk like I’m some kind of precious thing. I’m not.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Nora floundered for an exit strategy.
“I’m a woman, just like you. And I want to be wanted, not worshiped.” Graham turned in her seat and fixed Nora with an intense stare. “Don’t you?”
If there was one thing she wanted to talk about less than Graham’s love life, it was her own. “Not high on my list these days.”
“Maybe it should be.”
Nora laughed at the absurdity of Graham’s assertion. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I’m okay.”
“You’re great. That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a girlfriend. Or at least an affair.”
“Margaret Graham Connor, bite your tongue.”
“Nora Bridget Calhoun.” Graham made a show of sticking out her tongue, then biting it. “I’m still right.”
As much as she might not want to have this conversation, it broke the tension that had threatened to take over their final hour together. She could put up with a little teasing for a worthy cause.
At Logan, Graham waved off her offer to park and go into the terminal with her. “I’m fine. I’ll call you when I land.”
Graham hugged her and Nora allowed herself to hold on for an extra moment. “It’s been wonderful having you here these few months. I’m going to miss you.”
When Graham pulled back, her eyes were glassy with tears. “Me, too. Thank you for everything.”
Nora squeezed Graham again, then hurried back into her car. Graham offered a wave and hustled into the terminal out of the cold. On the drive home, Nora tried not to think about how empty the house would be. On one hand, she looked forward to the quiet of January and February. It was the only time of year she had whole stretches with no guests to tend. And as much as she loved her work, there was something magical about taking long baths, drinking coffee in the library in her robe, and eating grilled cheese and tomato soup for days on end.
But for the first time in as long as she could remember, Nora wasn’t looking forward to it. The prospect of so much alone time made her lonely. Ridiculous. Given her line of work, alone time was the closest thing she got to vacation. She refused to be mopey about it.
Then again, maybe she’d have less alone time than usual. The prospect of having Will around—without Graham—gave Nora a feeling of uneasy anticipation. She might cling to the notion that her only interest in Will was the work she’d do, but in the car, alone with her own thoughts, she knew better. Even as she admitted it to herself, Nora brushed it aside. She was perfectly content with her life exactly as it was. Even if the list of people thinking she needed to have an affair—Tisha, Martha, now Graham—continued to grow.
On a matter of principle, she stopped by the little gourmet market before heading home. She picked up some nice cheese and a baguette, some olive tapenade and a bar of chocolate with sea salt. She was going to go home, open a bottle of wine, and have a nice dinner in front of the fire.
When she got home, Nora did just that. She lit a fire and a couple of candles, opened a bottle of Bordeaux she would normally reserve for guests, and made a little picnic for herself. She ate dinner curled up on the sofa and refused to feel anything but content. Instead of heading to her room, she topped off her wine and went upstairs to the master suite. She’d indulged in a king-size bed for the space, a relative rarity in a P-town inn, but had not ever used it herself. Tonight, that would change.
She smiled at it on the way to the bathroom, where she drew herself a bath in the antique claw foot tub. She slid into the hot, sudsy water and sighed. Why didn’t she do this anytime she had an empty house?
Nora pulled herself out before the water had a chance to grow cold. After toweling off, she picked up her nightgown. It was halfway over head when she paused. When was the last time she slept in the nude? Not being able to answer meant she was clearly overdue. She padded into the bedroom naked, peeled back the duvet and the crisp white sheets, and slipped in.
Heaven.
Or, it was heaven until Will’s face popped into her mind. No, that wasn’t entirely accurate. She had Will’s face in her mind, but also the rest of her. Strong, dexterous hands. Narrow hips. Small, firm breasts.
Nora shook her head into her pillow. She had no idea whether Will’s breasts were firm. And she had no business imagining one way or the other. Or wondering how it would feel to have Will’s body pressing her into the mattress.
Nora huffed and turned onto her side. Clearly, she’d been celibate for too long. That had to be it. Will just happened to be the most attractive woman she’d seen in a while. She couldn’t begrudge her imagination for working with what it had.
Nora rolled onto her back. What would it feel like? She pressed the palms of her hands to her breasts. As her nipples began to harden, she wondered if Will’s hands would be rough. Probably. The idea sent ripples of desire down her spine. She sighed, shifting her hands so that she could roll her nipples between her fingers. She pinched and tugged, imagining Will above her, teasing her with tongue and teeth.
What would it be like?
By the time s
he ran a hand down her side and between her legs, Nora was slick with arousal. She slid one, then two, fingers up and down, grazing her clit each time. She lifted her knees and opened herself a little wider. Wide enough for Will to settle between her thighs. When she eased her fingers into herself, she moaned. She closed her eyes tighter and bit her lip. Will’s face remained in her mind, a look of fierce concentration etched into her features.
Nora’s hips rose to meet her hand. Her thrusts became harder and faster and she pushed herself toward release. The familiar pressure began to build. God, she hadn’t come in so long. Just a little bit more and she’d be there.
The orgasm crashed over her. Nora groaned under the intensity of it. Her whole body quaked.
When she finally came down, she was breathless. Her muscles felt weak and trembly. She lay there for a long time, letting her body shiver with the aftershocks.
Her pulse slowly returned to normal; her breathing steadied. Although her body was relaxed, her mind raced. She might tell herself it was a natural—overdue, even—release that her body needed. But she knew better. Will had stirred things in her that had long been dormant. And even if she felt a moment of satisfaction now, she’d awakened something with a far bigger appetite. An appetite she couldn’t possibly indulge.
She turned the worry over and over in her mind, willing a solution to come. Normally, doing so would keep her up half the night. But between the wine and the bath, not to mention the orgasm, her body had other ideas. She drifted off in a matter of minutes.
* * *
Nora woke, surprised it was light out. She didn’t remember falling asleep, nor did she stir even once during the night. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so well. She stretched, enjoying how loose her muscles felt. And then she remembered what she’d been doing before she fell asleep.
What had felt brazen the night before made her sheepish in the light of day. Not that she’d ever feel shame for touching herself—she was far too liberated for that. But how it had come about. How much thoughts of Will had been a part of it. What the hell was wrong with her?