by Layla Hagen
“I thought you’d sleep longer.”
“I woke up when you closed the door. Thank you for breakfast.”
“Welcome.”
“You’ll be here the whole day?”
Will flashed me a smile full of mischief. “And tomorrow, and the day after that. I still have two weeks free.”
“I sense you’re going to take advantage of this.”
“You’re sensing right.”
My heart was hammering like mad. What did this mean? Was he just looking out for me? Fulfilling his part of the deal? If we were going to be partners in the education center and not in any other way, well... this would be excruciating, honestly. He still hadn’t come closer to me. He’d also made no attempt to kiss me, or otherwise seduce me with that eye thingy. But he’d sent me all those cute and thoughtful gifts. So where did we stand?
Chapter Thirty-Two
Paige
I was required to stay indoors for most of the day, overseeing the floor replacement as well as calling the most promising candidates from the pool of educator applicants. But even so, I was aware every time Will was in the same room. Since that happened more often than was necessary, I’d concluded he was purposely forgetting tools or “needing” a glass of water.
But then again, I was peeking out the window as often as I had the chance, so who was I to judge?
In the afternoon, after I’d made a shortlist of candidates, I went out in search of Will. I thought we could decide together which ones to interview in person. I found him in the back of the yard, next to a freshly painted section of the fence. He was guzzling down water. His eyes were closed, so I took a second to shamelessly and unapologetically let my gaze roam over him, taking in the way his throat moved with the shape of water, the way his chest expanded with every breath.
Damn, how could he look even sexier after a full day of work? Wait... he had worked? He was only supposed to supervise. He was still recovering. But he had a few drops of green paint on his jeans, and there were no workers on this area of the fence. I stalked toward him, careful to stop at a safe distance.
“Will, what’s this?”
He blinked his eyes open, giving me a lazy smile. “Your freshly painted fence.”
“You were supposed to just supervise.”
He took a step closer, blowing my safety net to smithereens. Being this close to him and not knowing where we stood was torture.
“I have a tendency to misbehave, Paige. You should know that by now.”
There was no escaping that dark, all-consuming gaze, but I tried my best. I focused my attention on the stack of papers in my arms.
“I’ve sorted out the best applicants and selected my favorites. Want to go through them to give me your opinion?”
“That’s your domain, boss,” Will said.
“Now I’m the boss? How about when I say you’re only supposed to supervise?” I made the mistake of looking up.
“I didn’t say you’re the boss of me, Paige.”
He’d leaned into me a bit. I hadn’t seen it, but I’d felt it, and now all I could think about was feeling his hands on my skin, his lips on mine. Did he still want that? He had to, right? Or he wouldn’t be here.
But then he took a step back, motioning to the house. “I still have some things to finish out here. I can look over them later.”
I nodded, my chest tight. Was that a brushoff? What else did he have to do? The workers were gone. Resigned, I returned to the house, holding the résumés against my chest. I wasn’t sure what was happening.
I stayed in my temporary bedroom, sitting cross-legged on the bed, plugging in my headphones. I listened to music as loudly as I could, drowning out thoughts of Will as I went through the résumés. I was determined not to look outside again. I had no idea how long Will wanted to stay, but I had to leave in three hours anyway to meet Mom for dinner.
Later, as I reduced the volume, intending to get ready for the outing, I realized I had three missed calls from Mom, and called her right back.
“Hey, Mom. Did you decide where you want to eat?”
“Honey, didn’t you see the message I sent you last night?”
“No, sorry. It got buried in a million other messages. Why?”
“I’m sorry, I have to cancel. Something came up with one of my friends, and I can’t make it in time.”
Mom was leaving me high and dry? This wasn’t like her, especially since I’d told her what had happened with Will.
“Okay. No problem. Take care of your friend.”
“I’ll do that, and we’ll reschedule soon, okay?”
“Sure.”
She was also not offering to stop by later... or asking me anything in her usual nosy way. I was getting more suspicious by the second.
I glanced at the empty breakfast tray I’d been too lazy to carry to the kitchen, and a small detail caught my attention. Will had brought me blueberry pancakes, even though I’d never specifically told him they were my favorites. This morning I’d thought that was a coincidence, but now....
I climbed down from the bed and headed downstairs. It was almost sunset, and it was just me and Will, unless he’d left too.
When I didn’t see him anywhere in the front, I went to the backyard where I’d left him hours ago, and then I was... stunned.
There were twinkle lights in the tree and a blanket on the ground underneath, as well as a picnic basket. Will was in the process of laying something on the grass. When I squinted, I realized they were candles.
It happened in a fraction of a second. My heart went from feeling tiny but heavy to feeling impossibly big and full. I made a sound somewhere between a giggle and a yelp. Like the fool I was, I gave myself away instead of enjoying these stolen moments. But I just couldn’t contain my joy. Really, that was all it was.
Will straightened up and held his good arm up in surrender.
“Caught in the act.”
I practically flew to him. It felt that way, at least. Like I was so light that my feet weren’t even touching the ground, merely skipping over the surface.
I stopped right in front of him, smiling. “I see what you’re doing. You’re groveling.”
He groaned, lowering his head. “You didn’t even realize I was groveling until now? Blake will never let me live this down.”
“Nah, I caught on to it a few days ago. I’ll save your honor when it comes to Blake. After all, I saved you from Pippa too. It’s becoming a running theme. But what’s your cousin got to do with this?”
“He’s got this theory about the science behind groveling.... Never mind. Gave me some pointers.”
“Did that include talking to my mom?”
He snapped his head up, looking directly at me. “No, that was my idea.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Who knows you better? I had to know if I had a real chance here.”
“You know you did. I told you when you came by that night I was half drunk.”
“You also asked me not to kiss or touch you.”
“That was a defense mechanism,” I countered. “So... why did you talk to her?”
Will came a little closer. There were now maybe three inches separating us, and I desperately needed to feel his warm skin on mine, but I wanted to hear what he had to say first.
“I wanted to make sure they were on my side. Didn’t want to risk anyone else wanting to throw things at me, like Luna.”
“So, technically, you wanted me ambushed.”
“Not sure if it’s an ambush or an intervention. My sisters could clear that up.”
“You just wanted pointers, didn’t you? Blueberry pancakes?”
“Made an impression, I see. Since I’m making confessions, I spoke to your dad too.”
“Wait... on the phone or in person?”
“In person.”
“That was brave, Detective. You risked him shooting at you. My dad is very chill. Until he isn’t.”
“He was not chill at first.
But I won him over. Both of them.”
“What did you tell them?”
The humor faded from his eyes. “The truth: that loving their girl is an honor for me. I wanted them to be convinced that I was going to make their daughter happy. That I’d only acted out of a deep fear that maybe I wasn’t able to make her as happy as she deserved, but that I was a complete fool not to trust that she could handle absolutely anything. And I was an even bigger fool for ever thinking I could let her walk out of my life. I can’t. I won’t.”
The deep emotion in his voice wrapped around my heart.
“Will—” I said the word softly. Maybe too low for him to hear, because he continued right away.
“And one more thing. I spoke to my superiors, and I will be moving to another unit, one that involves no risk.”
“William Connor, you’ll do no such thing.”
“Listen to me, it’s what I want. For me, for us. The hours will also be more reasonable, and I’ll be able to involve myself in the foundation too.”
“Will... are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes. One hundred percent. I mean it.” He smiled. “You know, it was easier winning over your family than mine,” he said with a half smile.
“Don’t tell me they sided with me.”
“Every single one of them. Traitors.”
“Even Jace?”
“Especially Jace. Cornered me right after you left. My sisters gave me an earful... my brain is still ringing. Not even my bandaged arm softened them. They were ruthless.”
“Maybe they thought you deserved it.” I was feeling very smug, but I was also very grateful to the Connors.
“They sure did. I can’t promise not to upset you again—”
“By all means, upset away. Your way of winning me back is quite charming. But since I have a heart, I’m going to tell you that you don’t have to keep doing it. I’m yours. It’s hard to stay mad at someone who puts my happiness above his.”
Will hooked his good arm around my waist before I even finished my sentence. I laced my hands around his neck the next moment, pulling him to me. Our lips met fiercely, our tongues tangling with mad lust and deep love. Our chests were crushed against each other’s, and still, I wanted to be closer to him. He skimmed his lips over to my ear.
“I love you, Paige.”
I laughed, though it sounded a little like a sob because my emotions were running high.
“I love you too.”
I was shaking, and he was shaking, and when he looked at me, his gaze was smoldering, which meant my clothes were seconds away from being yanked away. My lady parts tingled in anticipation. Did I want to distract him? Or not?
“What’s in the picnic basket?” I whispered.
“All your favorites. But right now, I need you, Paige.” He feathered his mouth on the side of my neck. “I want you naked.”
“I’d call you out on it if you didn’t.”
Will lowered his hands down my back, cupping my ass and pulling my hips against him. He was rock-hard.
“Do you feel that? It’s all for you.” His voice was gruff, and I rocked against him gently. “Let’s go inside, or we’re getting that citation for indecent exposure.”
“Here I am, seducing you, and you’re still thinking about a citation? I ought to become a better temptress.”
We’d barely reached the bedroom when Will started undressing me, but he took his time, as if he was on a mission to rediscover every inch of my body. He stood behind me, kissing the back of my neck, circling his fingers on the peaks of my breasts. We were both naked, and his erection pressed along my left ass cheek, spurring my need for him. I was hungry for him. When it came to Will, I was insatiable.
“Will, please,” I muttered, feeling like I might come out of my skin. My nipples were tight and tender. With every swirl of his tongue on my skin, more heat rushed between my legs. He flipped me around, lowering me on the bed. He was still standing, and his erection was level with my face.
I wrapped my hand around the base of him, taking him in my mouth. Will groaned, wrapping one hand in my hair, bending at the waist, nudging my thighs apart with his other hand and touching between them.
“You’re so wet for me.”
I couldn’t bear it. His touch was setting me on fire. He was circling my clit with his thumb, and when he slid two fingers inside me, I looked up at him. He curved his fingers in a come-here motion, and my insides spasmed around them. I came the next second, rocking against his hand, clamping tight around him.
“You’re so beautiful when you surrender to your pleasure, Paige.” He moved me to the center of the bed, climbing over me. “I want to fuck you hard and love you gently.” His mouth was everywhere, as if he was so greedy for me that he wasn’t sure where to kiss first.
“Yes. Yes, please.”
He knelt between my legs, focusing his molten gaze on me.
Clasping his hands around my ankles, he lifted my feet off the mattress.
“Lift your legs and put your hands under your knees.” I did as he instructed, opening up for him. He put on protection and slid inside me until his pubic bone was pressing on me, and he claimed my mouth, his tongue teasing mine in a seductive dance. I thought I might splinter from pleasure, from being so full of this man.
“So deep,” he grunted, caressing my cheek with his knuckles. “I want this every day for the rest of our lives. The certainty of your love. Do you trust me with your happiness, Paige?”
“Yes.”
How could I not? The way he looked at me, God... as if he’d do whatever it took to make me happy, as if he’d be at my side no matter what.
“This is home for me. You are,” he whispered.
He moved faster then, and on every thrust, I felt our connection grow stronger, deeper.
Afterward, we had our picnic, but not under the tree. Will brought the basket in the bedroom because we hadn’t had nearly enough of each other. Currently I was eating apricot jam with a side of hunky detective. I’d smeared it around his navel and was taking my sweet time cleaning him up.
Ah, life was so good. So good.
“Paige, come up here. If you’re not stopping, I’m going to—”
“I’m sorry, but you’re in no position to make threats.”
I tapped one finger just under his navel to drive my point home. In a fraction of a second, the balance of power changed. The man had impressive speed. I barely blinked twice and then I was under him. He was holding my hands hostage at my sides, his body pressing me down.
I cleared my throat. “All right. Point made.”
“What am I going to do with you, hmm? Pushing my buttons all the time.”
I wiggled under him. “My proudest moment is still the one where I kind of pushed you to line up for the garter.”
“When I saw you up there, I knew I couldn’t let anyone else touch you. So I got the garter.”
“Ummm... correction. You elbowed your way to the garter.”
“I certainly didn’t.” He bit my shoulder lightly.
I gasped, but I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. “I definitely saw someone being elbowed out. And a guy practically bounced off you.”
“I just went the extra mile. To get my girl.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Will
One month later
“Will, I’m afraid this confirms my initial diagnosis,” the doctor said. He was looking over the charts and notes from my physical therapist. A month ago, the doctor made the unpleasant discovery that a nerve in my hand had been damaged in the accident. It was a small enough issue that it didn’t interfere with regular daily activities, but a trip to the shooting range and a physical therapist confirmed that I wouldn’t be able to properly fire a gun again—which meant I couldn’t keep my badge.
“I was sure it would. The therapy didn’t help much.”
Paige was sitting by my side in the doctor’s sterile office. He prescribed more physical therapy,
but made it clear that a 100 percent recovery wasn’t possible.
When Paige and I exited the clinic, we strolled through the small green space surrounding it.
We came across a bench, and I sat on it, pulling Paige straight into my lap. She let out a small sound of surprise before lacing one arm around my neck. She rested the other on my chest. Correction. Felt up my chest.
“What are you doing?” I inquired.
“You’re pulling me in your lap to feel up my ass. I’m taking advantage and touching your chest. I’d say it’s a fair deal.” She grinned. I knew what she was doing: cheering me up. It was working.
“I’m going to talk to everyone at the station today and confirm that I’m leaving.”
My superiors had explained my options, but if I had to face such a big change, I wanted to do it on my own terms.
“Hmmm... I’m only detecting a small frown.” She traced a line on my forehead. “This requires neither an ambush nor an intervention.”
“What?”
“Your sisters asked me to report.” She spoke nonchalantly, even as she squirmed in my lap. “But there’s nothing to report. Tell the truth. Are you okay, or is this blasé reaction because I’m distracting you with all this squirming?”
“A mix of both.” I gave in to her game. “Mostly, I’m just looking forward to having you to myself all day long, every day.”
She stopped fidgeting. “William Connor, just because we’re going to be partners does not mean you can just do this whenever you want.” I’d slipped one of my hands under her skirt, touching her midthigh.
“Yeah it does. It absolutely fucking does.”
When we first discovered the problem with that nerve, I’d known I wouldn’t continue on the LAPD. Not being able to carry a gun limited my options considerably. I hadn’t taken it as hard as I’d expected, probably because I’d already decided on a change in careers, and because I’d already been looking forward to building something with Paige. Now I could dedicate more of my time to this.
We were going to grow the foundation, and I also planned to work on expanding the rental network. She was going to be my partner in all things. It made perfect sense. Our skills complemented each other’s.