Spring’s Wake

by Aurora Rey

  Nora nodded. “It was. More than. I’m just saying it was ill-advised.”

  Will felt torn between defending what had happened between them and wanting to dissolve into the floor. She didn’t know if she could handle being something Nora regretted. “I thought it was special.”

  Nora smiled, but it seemed to Will rueful. “It was. That’s not the point.”

  “What is the point?”

  “You work for me. I’ve got to be twenty years older than you. You’re good friends with my niece. I could go on.”

  “I’m doing work for you, but I don’t think of you as an employer. It’s not like I’d ever sue you or anything. And I think it’s more like ten years. As for Graham, I don’t think she has anything to do with it.” Will realized she sounded all worked up, so she stopped and took a breath. “If you aren’t interested, say the word. I’ll respect that. But if your qualms are about age or some kind of power dynamic, I hope I can convince you that I wanted last night. I’ve wanted it pretty much from the day I met you.”

  “How old are you?”

  Was it a good sign or a bad sign that Nora zeroed in on the age difference? “Thirty-four.”

  “Oh.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  “Neither. Better, I guess, than I thought. I thought you might not be thirty.”

  Will chuckled. “I get that a lot. So, see? Not a big difference.”

  Nora narrowed her eyes. “How old do you think I am?”

  Will knew Nora’s age from her conversation with Graham, but knew better than to say so. She went with her initial impression. “I don’t think you look a second over forty.”

  Nora gave her an incredulous look. “There’s no need to patronize me.”

  Will swallowed. “Graham mentioned you were in your forties, but I was surprised.”

  She shook her head. “Closer to fifty.”

  “Is that really what’s bothering you? The age difference?”

  “Yes. No.” Nora sighed. “It just feels sudden. And reckless. I don’t do reckless.”

  “Okay. I get that. I’m not sure I agree, but I get it. Can we at least talk about it before you shut this down completely?” God, she hoped so.

  Nora didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t immediately say no. “All right.”

  “What if I made us some breakfast first? No one should have a serious conversation on an empty stomach.”

  Nora lifted a hand. “I can make breakfast. You cooked last night.”

  Will considered. “You make breakfast and I’ll go out with the shovel. It’s going to take a while to dig out, so we should do it in shifts.”

  “Only if you let me pay you.”

  Will cringed. She did not need Nora thinking about her as the hired help, especially right now. But she had a feeling if she put up a fuss, Nora wouldn’t let her help with the snow at all. And there was a lot of snow. “I’d rather you didn’t, but I don’t want to argue.”

  Nora smiled and tipped her head to the side. “You’re a quick learner. Don’t do too much. If you can make a path to the front gate, that should be enough for the plumbers.”

  “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Will left the room and Nora stood for a moment. She drained her coffee and poured another cup. She pulled out ingredients for a frittata and tried to focus on the task at hand. Which worked for all of two minutes.

  What the hell was she thinking? She wasn’t, or at least she hadn’t been last night when she gave in to the desire that had been nagging at her for weeks. She couldn’t even blame too much wine. Sure, that had smoothed out her inhibitions, made it easier to ignore the hesitation that had kept Will at arm’s length. But she’d known what she was doing.

  Will had clearly known what she was doing. Even now, in the light of day and with a sobering cup of coffee—or three—the thought of the things Will did to her made Nora’s toes curl. Will made her feel things she didn’t even know she could feel.

  Instead of extinguishing the pent up sexual energy, or releasing some of the pressure, sleeping with Will had only intensified it.

  Nora returned to chopping vegetables with a vengeance. They’d eat breakfast, she’d listen to what Will had to say, and that would be the end of it. She was not a woman easily swayed. Last night notwithstanding.

  An hour later, they sat at one end of the dining room table. Nora studied Will over the rim of her coffee cup. Her face looked fresh and relaxed, cheeks pink from the cold. Her hair had the sexy rumpled thing going on. She had to fight the urge to put her fingers in it. God, she was hopeless.

  “I don’t think we have to define anything right now. Or decide, for that matter.”

  Nora shook her head. “You make it sound so easy.”

  Will lifted a shoulder and smiled. “It’s supposed to be.”

  “That’s what people always say, but it’s rarely true.”

  Will knew better than to dismiss Nora’s concerns. Doing so would likely make her shut down altogether. And if she shut down, there was no doubt that she’d shut Will out in the process. “I understand that, better than most maybe. But we’re on the same page from the get-go. That counts for something, right?”

  Nora sighed and looked up to the ceiling. “You’re going to go for the hard sell, aren’t you?”

  Will shook her head. “No sell. Well, maybe a little sell. I like you. I’ve been attracted to you from the moment we met. And if last night was any indication, the attraction is mutual.”

  “Oh, it’s mutual.”

  Will grinned at that. “We’re adults. No pretense, no agenda.”

  Nora considered. Could it really be as easy as that? Probably not. But maybe walking away completely wasn’t necessary, either. Will had proved herself more than handy, not to mention good company. Nora swallowed. And the moment she let her mind wander to the night before, her insides went molten. Not to be cliché about it, but she’d honestly forgotten how good it felt to be with a woman.

  Or maybe it had never been as good as it was with Will. Nora didn’t want to think about that. It had too many implications. Implications that went beyond the possibility that Will had talent in the bedroom. Implications about how the two of them clicked. How they fit together in ways Nora didn’t even know possible.

  “You’re shaking your head.” Will frowned. “Do you not believe that’s possible?”

  Will was offering her a gift—good company and mind-blowing sex with no strings. She’d never been good at accepting gifts. She had a tendency to add strings or at least imagine them. But maybe this was her chance. “I think it’s possible.”

  “But you’re not interested?”

  “Not uninterested.”

  Will raised a brow. “Keep talking.”

  Will seemed perfectly comfortable with whatever Nora was willing to give. Whatever boundaries she put in place. “Whatever happens between us is separate from whatever time you spend on the clock.”

  “Absolutely. I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

  “And we’re not dating. No courting either.”

  “Courting?”

  “No flowers, no romantic dinners. That’s not what we’re doing.”

  Nora thought she saw a flash of something in Will’s eyes, but it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. “I will resist wooing you.”

  Nora indulged in a smirk. If Will had a sense of humor about this, it might actually work. “Is that terribly out of character for you?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  God help her, she would. But that was beside the point. No, not beside. It was the exact opposite of what she was trying to do. “I’ll live. For the time being, I’ll take what you’re offering.”

  “Which is…”

  Will’s tone was a blend of playful and suggestive. Despite her best intentions, Nora found it sexy as hell. “Which is that you will continue to do work for me and the terms and conditions of that won’t change.”

  “And?”

/>   Nora swallowed again. This conversation should not be turning her on. “And we can continue doing what we did last night as long as it remains mutually agreeable to both of us.”

  Will nodded slowly. Nora had a moment of regret for putting it in such transactional terms. But before she could take it back, or elaborate, Will extended her hand. “Deal.”

  Nora couldn’t tell if Will was poking fun at her way of phrasing the proposition or if she was on the same page. In the end, it didn’t really matter. Will was agreeing to the terms she laid out. Nora took her hand and shook it. “Deal.”

  Before she could talk herself out of it, Nora stood to clear the table. Will followed her into the kitchen, positioning herself at the sink to wash dishes before Nora had a chance. Nora wrapped up the leftovers and topped off both their coffees.

  When she was done, Will dried her hands and hung the towel. “So, when do we get to start?”

  “Start what?”

  “Our new arrangement.” Will stepped toward her and put a hand on her waist.

  Despite the thick sweater and camisole she wore, Nora swore she could feel the heat of it against her skin. She had a sudden image of Will tearing off her clothes, taking her on the kitchen island. Almost as shocking was realizing she’d let her. Her nipples tensed in anticipation. Heat pooled between her thighs. “Immediately.”

  Before she knew what was happening, Will’s hand was gone. “Great. I was thinking I’d like to tackle the stairs. I know that has to be at least a full week of no guests, but I think we should commit to a time frame.”

  Nora blinked at the abrupt shift. Embarrassment over where her thoughts had been caused her cheeks to flush. She struggled to regain her composure. “I—”

  Just as quickly as she’d pulled her hand away, Will was back. This time she slid both hands around Nora and pulled their bodies together. “I was kidding. What I really want to do is drag you back to bed right this minute.”

  “Oh.” Surprise mixed with delight. And the initial flash of arousal intensified. “Well.”

  “I promise that I will get to your stairs and every other project you dream up between now and the arrival of spring. But if I don’t get my hands on you soon, I might literally die.”

  In addition to how good the sex was, Nora realized how lovely it was to be wanted. Really wanted. The heat of Will’s stare rivaled that of her hands. Hands that had crept under Nora’s sweater and were now stroking up and down the slick satin of her camisole. “We can’t have that.”

  “Shall I drag you to bed or would you rather I take you right here?”

  As much as part of her wanted to be taken in the middle of the kitchen in broad daylight, reason won out. Even with no guests in the house, the front door was unlocked. It wasn’t unheard of for a friend or delivery person who knew her to walk right in. The idea of it had a chilling effect on her arousal. She laughed. Apparently her recklessness knew some bounds.

  “What?” Will looked alarmed.

  “Nothing. Sorry. I would like very much for you to drag me to bed.”

  Will narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure? I want to respect your boundaries.”

  The sincerity in Will’s voice struck her. Despite the confidence she wore when it came to sex, there was an earnestness about her that made her almost timid. Nora needed to remember that. It might make her like Will more, but it also made her a little dangerous. Even after everything, Nora had a soft spot for earnest types. She refused to let that make her vulnerable. “Let’s go.”

  Nora slid out of Will’s arms and took her hand. She made a point of playfully pulling her toward the stairs. Then she stopped. “Wait.” Nora skirted around her and went to the front door. She flipped the deadbolt into place with a smile. “Better safe than sorry.”

  She turned back to Will, who gestured to the stairs. “Ladies first.”

  Once they were back in the bedroom, Nora lifted her arms and Will removed her sweater. She felt silly standing there in a cami and leggings. She went to slide down the leggings, but Will stopped her. “Please, allow me.”

  She also wished she was wearing sexier underwear. She had not anticipated that she and Will would have sex again, so she’d not given it a thought when she got dressed. She was going to have to up her game if they kept this up. And they’d pretty much just agreed to keep this up. The thought of it sent a ripple of laughter through her, the sort of giddy laughter that comes with being utterly careless.

  “Am I tickling you?” Will stood up and looked into her eyes.

  The gaze turned Nora’s nervous laughter into pure desire. She no longer wanted to think about being reckless or negotiating rules. She wanted Will. Nora wanted her with a ferocity that took her breath away. “Just a little. I’m fine now.”

  “I’ll try to be more intentional when I touch you.” Will took the hem of the cami in her fingers and slid it over Nora’s head.

  “It’s fine. You can do whatever.” When did she lose the ability to form full sentences?

  “I do like the sound of that.” Will leaned forward and kissed her. If possible, it was even hotter than the last time. With the hesitation gone, Will’s mouth covered hers. Not aggressive, per se, but confident. Will knew how to kiss a woman senseless and, now that she knew Nora wanted it, she didn’t hold back.

  Nora allowed herself to be swept up in the kiss. Her own hesitation was gone as well, giving her the freedom to focus on the sensation of Will’s tongue sliding over her bottom lip, the gentle tug of her teeth. The only way Nora could think to describe it was a kind of slow urgency. Unrushed, but still laced with need. It went on and on.

  * * *

  Will lifted her head and glanced at the clock. “That’s too bad.”

  Nora looked at her, cocked a brow. “What’s too bad?”

  “It’s after one. And if I’m remembering correctly, the water heater guys will be here soon.”

  “Shit.” Nora bolted out of bed.

  Will sat up. “Relax. Barely after one. They’re not banging on the door now.”

  “But I may have missed a call from them. They could be here any minute.”

  “Okay, okay. I’m with you.” Will pulled on her clothes and followed Nora downstairs.

  Nora picked up her phone. Will watched her shoulders relax. “Nothing yet.”

  “Good. How about I go try to dig out our cars? I’m sure we’ll need to go somewhere eventually.”

  That got Nora to smile. “You don’t have to do all the shoveling. I’m able-bodied, you know.”

  “Oh, I know.” She looked at Nora suggestively and Nora flushed. The rise of color made Will want to drag her to bed all over again. Sensing Nora wouldn’t be as amenable this time, she started putting on her boots. “I’m just happy to help. I like it.”

  “Thanks. Why don’t you focus on your car first? I’m sure you’d like to go home for a while. I can handle mine.”

  “I…” She probably shouldn’t say it, but the last place she wanted to go was home.

  Nora smiled at her coyly. “I’m not saying you can’t come back later. I just thought you might like a change of clothes.”

  “Ah.” Will’s stomach fluttered with the delight of being wanted.

  “I mean, I thought you looked great in my joggers, but you didn’t seem to like them.”

  Apparently, Nora’s playful switch had been flipped. Will tried not to think about how temporary it might be. “You just like looking at my ankles.”

  “Your ankles are fine, but I’m—”

  The phone rang, cutting her off. As much as Will wanted to hear the rest of the sentence, she had shoveling to do. And the sooner she finished, the sooner she could go home. And the sooner she did that, the sooner she would be back at Nora’s.

  By the time Will got to her place, it was late afternoon. She took a quick shower, spending most of it wondering if she could talk Nora into shared showers at some point. After getting dressed, she packed a bag with some work clothes and clean underwear. She contempla
ted a semi-nice pair of pants, but settled on jeans and a sweater. She didn’t want to jinx herself.

  Before leaving, she checked her phone and realized she’d missed a text from Emerson.

  Hope you’re not too buried. Free for dinner or a drink?

  As much as Will wanted to get back to Nora, she wasn’t about to blow off her sister.

  Things are good here and the roads are clear. Want me to come to you?

  While she waited for a reply, Will sent a quick text to Nora. She was a little nervous that Nora would tell her not to bother coming, but she didn’t. Nora may have worked in a comment about staying over making it easier for her to start working on the stairs, but Will didn’t mind. The end result meant another night at Nora’s. Her mind started spinning all sorts of images of Nora naked and under her, naked and on top of her, naked and—

  I’ll come there. Pig? Half an hour?

  Will texted her agreement and drove the short distance to Commercial Street. Winter might bring Nor’easters, but it also brought infinitely easier parking. Will thought it might be a reasonable trade. Despite the cold, the Squealing Pig was warm and inviting. Several people sat at the bar and nearly half the tables were filled. Will smiled. It felt like a hometown bar.

  Emerson arrived a couple of minutes later. In the short time it took them to exchange hugs and order beers, Will knew something was up.

  “I asked Darcy to marry me and she said yes.”

  “Oh, Emerson. That’s so awesome.”

  Emerson smiled, looking like happiness might literally explode from her at any moment. “Thanks.”

  “I’m so happy for you. Like, insanely happy.” Will had helped Emerson pick out the ring, so there was no real surprise in the announcement. It made no sense that she should have such an emotional response now. Still, she had to blink back tears. “Although I’ve got nothing on you. Joy is radiating off you like heat from a fire.”

  “I didn’t expect her to say no. But I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous in my life.”

  Will cleared her throat and grinned. “Not even your gross anatomy final?”

  Emerson chuckled. “Not even then.”