He handed her the gift. “Well, in reality, it’s a present for me, even though it’s yours.”
“Selfish much?” she teased, pushing a loose tendril out of her eyes.
He laughed. “Just open it. You’ll see.”
As she mulled over in her mind what he’d said, Sarah started to get nervous. She couldn’t think of anything a guy could give a girl that was really a present for the guy except lingerie. No. She shook that thought from her head. Stop thinking about that, she told herself. He wouldn’t. Besides, the box was too heavy. She pulled off the wrapping.
“A laptop?”
“Yeah, I just thought we could Skype each other when we’re not able to be together, so I can see those beautiful green eyes of yours.”
“Oh,” she stammered, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
“You said your old computer was really outdated and your webcam didn’t work. This one has a large screen and a ton of memory. I even loaded it with mobile Internet service, so you can use it anywhere. I was going to get you an iPad, but I thought the computer would be more useful for school.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” she said. “Thanks, though, it’s really great. I did need a new computer. Mine is super slow, and my operating system is so outdated.” Stopping herself, she repeated, “You didn’t need to get me anything. This is too much, Will. I can’t possibly accept it.” Sarah had never gotten such an expensive gift from a guy before, and she wasn’t quite sure how to react. She liked that he was practical and that the gift was well thought out, though.
“I wouldn’t have gotten it if I thought it was too much. I want you to have it,” he said in his mesmerizing no-one-can-argue voice.
“Thanks.” She reached up and grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt, pulling him down on the couch next to her. She kissed him on the cheek and, fighting a yawn, asked, “Will you sing me the song from tonight? I couldn’t catch all the words, and it was so beautiful.”
Will looked at her questioningly, then rose without a word, went into the bedroom, and came back with a yellow vintage T-shirt. Tossing it to her, he said, “Put this on. You’re not sleeping in that miniskirt. I’ll grab my guitar and change myself.” Then he vanished back into the bedroom.
Sarah slipped out of her shirt and tank top. She pulled the T-shirt over the top of her head. It smelled so good that she paused, taking in his clean, masculine scent before pulling her head completely through. She slipped off her bra, needled her arms into the T-shirt, and slid out of her mini. The bottom of the shirt fell to her midthigh. She neatly folded her clothes and placed them in a pile next to her purse. Sarah positioned herself on the couch, tucking her legs up next to her, just as Will reentered the room carrying his guitar.
“I wish I’d been quicker,” he said with eyebrows raised.
Sarah blushed and looked up at him. Her jaw would have fallen to the floor if she hadn’t caught herself. He was wearing a snug-fitting gray T-shirt and an exquisitely fitted pair of black cutoff cotton sweats that hung low on his hips. Through the clinging shirt, she could see the sinuous lines of his rock-hard abdomen and the lean, powerful muscles of his chest. But the picture-perfect curvature of his backside was what made her take a sharp breath.
And I was worried about not having chemistry—definitely not a problem and definitely no evil twin. She smiled.
Oblivious to her reaction, he waved the acoustic guitar back and forth, pretending not to know how to hold it. “Honestly, it’s all smoke and mirrors on the stage. I’m not very good,” he claimed in a sincerely humble manner. “If you knew how nervous I was getting up in front of the crowd tonight, you wouldn’t make me do this.”
He sat down next to her. His thigh pushed against hers and held as he positioned the guitar between his legs. The heat from Will’s touching skin penetrated Sarah’s entire body right down to the core, and she took a deep breath, savoring the rise in temperature, as he began to play.
His deep, sensual voice wrapped around her like a warm blanket, and the words were amazingly sweet. The song was more heartfelt than she could have believed, and when it ended, Sarah’s eyes were moist with tears.
“It was so beautiful,” she whispered. “Was that about me?”
“Every word.” Will smiled and kissed the top of her head. He slid his guitar to the floor, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her into an embrace. His sincere expression tugged on her heart. She fused into his strong but gentle grasp.
They sat in silence, each one relishing the comfort the other brought. No more words were needed.
She was almost asleep when he lifted her into his arms and whispered, “I’m not going to ruin this.” She felt his warm lips press against her forehead. “Sweet dreams, beautiful.”
When Sarah awoke at ten thirty, she was surprised to find herself in the large bed. She stretched and rose, looking around for any sign of Will. She quickly checked herself in the mirror and bent over, shaking out her hair to straighten it. When she was convinced there was not much more she could do to make herself look better with no makeup or a brush, she came out of the bedroom in search of him. He was sitting at the stone table eating scrambled eggs and mixed melons with strawberries. He had headphones down around his neck, and Sarah could hear a familiar piano composition flowing from the mini speakers.
“I tried to wait for you, but I was starving,” he admitted with a big smile. He had obviously showered. His hair was damp and curled up on the ends. He had shaved and was sporting a long white hotel-supplied terry cloth robe.
Sarah swallowed hard when she saw him. She couldn’t let him know how he affected her. “So what are we having?” she asked. Still wearing the large T-shirt, she approached the table, inspecting the food.
Will grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. “Anything that’s here,” he answered, pointing to the eggs, fruit, whole wheat toast, and two large mugs of coffee on the tray. “Or if you don’t see anything you want, we can order it.”
“I want this,” she declared, snagging a new toothbrush wrapped in plastic that was sitting on the table next to the food tray.
“You need that!” he proclaimed with a chuckle.
“Oh, shut up! Thanks, though, for getting it for me.”
“Thought it would make your day,” he said, taking another bite of egg.
“It did. What are you listening to? It sounds really familiar.”
“It’s just piano music. It keeps me grounded, relaxes me. My mom always played this album at Christmastime when I was growing up. It reminds me of Jack.”
Sarah picked up his iPod off the table. Spying the artist, she proclaimed, “I listen to this same album when I study for finals. I have it on my iPod too.”
Will set down his fork and brushed her hair off her shoulder. He began kissing her jawline, then whispered, “See, it’s meant to be.” When his kisses browsed the corner of her mouth, Sarah stood up quickly, waving the toothbrush in her hand. She wasn’t going to kiss him with morning breath.
“I’ll be right back,” she declared as he chuckled.
Once she returned, she sat in the chair next to Will and helped herself to a plate of food.
“Where did you sleep last night?” Sarah asked trivially, pretending to be just making polite conversation.
He looked at her with a half smirk on his face. “In the bed. Don’t you remember? It’s a big bed,” he revealed nonchalantly as he continued to eat.
Sarah smiled, embarrassed. She wished that she hadn’t been so tired, but also was glad that Will was a gentleman. Not obsessively, though. He had slept in the bed, after all.
“So what’s on the agenda today?” she asked.
“Anything you want, beautiful.”
“I’d like a shower and a change of clothes for starters. Can we go back to my house?” She paused. “You’d have to meet my parents,” she added hesitantly. She was embarrassed that she was living at home for the summer. He seemed so worldly, and she didn’t want to come off
as immature. “They’ll be gracious. I promise.” She wrinkled her face apologetically.
“Meet your parents?” He cringed, and then she cringed. He tenderly grasped her shoulder and admitted, “You know, I still kind of live with my parents too. I rent their guesthouse.” He skimmed his fingers, featherlight, along her jawline and then kissed her cheek. “I used to have a condo, but I came home from the store one day and found some crazy fan lying on my bed, wearing nothing but her panties. It really freaked me out.”
Sarah gasped. She couldn’t believe that a woman would do that, though she knew he was telling the truth.
“I didn’t know if she was a psycho killer, and I couldn’t get her to leave, so I called the police. It became a media circus—a huge mess. I just didn’t feel safe in the condo anymore, so I moved home.”
“Wow. That’s crazy,” declared Sarah.
“Yeah, right? Welcome to my life.” He downed the last of his coffee. “Let’s check last night’s damage before we go, OK? May I borrow your laptop?”
She continued eating while he checked the local news and then the gossip sites.
“Well, it doesn’t look too bad yet. The rags know I’m in town, but it doesn’t look like they know where I’m staying. There are some pictures of me onstage, but only a really grainy one when we were sitting. The pictures from the alley aren’t out yet. No one will be able to tell who you are,” he said, pleased.
“What, are you ashamed of me already?” she asked, jokingly on the surface, but still unsure of why he had picked her when he clearly could have anyone he wanted.
“No, silly. I’m protective of you. I don’t want to share you with those vultures,” Will admitted. “If the press finds out who you are, they’ll hunt you down. They will lie about you—unbelievable stuff—and people will believe it.”
“Not everyone believes them. None of my friends asked you about your pending wedding to Mia Thompson.” Sarah laughed, but she was still nervous that the rumors might have had some relevance.
“Thank god! We’re not getting married, by the way,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Good. I’m not good at sharing—never have been,” she muttered softly and took a bite of eggs. She saw a hint of his dimple appear on his gorgeous face before his brow wrinkled and a few choice cuss words escaped his lips.
“Damn it. I was hoping this wouldn’t happen.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, they’re already putting on a full-court press to find out who you are.”
“So?” Sarah said with a giggle.
“You don’t get it, do you? I thought you got it, but how could you? They are ruthless, and they don’t care who they hurt. I shouldn’t have made this so public.” He brushed his hand across the top of his head and exhaled loudly. “I can guarantee that if—no, when—they find out who you are, they will ruin your life. They’ll call you awful names and say you’re a home wrecker for breaking up a relationship that doesn’t exist.”
“Let them. I know that I’m not.” She got up, kissed him assertively on the lips, and sat down on his lap, nuzzling against his chest.
“You better put some more clothes on if you know what is good for you.” He wrapped his arms around her waist so she couldn’t leave his lap. “You’re just trying to distract me.”
Pleased with his response, she gently ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. “Is it working?” she questioned. “You need to stop panicking. Just stop reading that garbage.”
“You read it,” snapped Will.
“I just go on those sites to antagonize people. It helps me understand people’s psyches. It started as a psychology experiment for school. I told you that. I don’t believe those lies. Most people don’t have time to worry about the scandals in celebrities’ lives.” She gave Will a knowing eye. “Stop being so ridiculous! There are ways to get your voice out there—tons of different ways. I could name at least fifty. We could set up your own website. I had a couple of classes on Internet communication. I know a little, but I’m sure you have people who can do that for you. What about an interview or a press release?”
“The rags just twist what I say to fit their means.”
“Then just forget about them and live your life!”
Will tightened his arms around her and started kissing the small of her neck. He pulled back for a second. “I like that you argue with me.” His nose skimmed her soft flesh, and he inhaled deeply before kissing her again.
Sarah closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin. She was so absorbed in his touch that she forgot the world again, until he whispered in her ear.
“You don’t mind if we take this slow, do you? I really care about you, and I don’t want to mess this up. Besides, you haven’t even admitted that you love me.” He glanced at her with a questioning look.
“Shut up.”
“I’m serious,” he said with just a hint of hurt in his voice.
“Does it matter?” she asked, taken aback.
“It does with you. You get me in ways no one ever has.”
“You told me that you loved me before you even met me. How could you know that?” It sounded like a line to get her into bed, but that wasn’t what he was trying to do, so she was confused by his words.
“I know it feels right—more right than ever before—and I can’t stop thinking about you. I’m usually pretty levelheaded around women. I don’t get infatuated.”
“Do you always fall in love so easily?”
“Never before you. I’ve never even said it to another girl. And I know you’re in love with me, but I’ll let you figure it out,” he whispered in her ear just before kissing it.
Sarah felt a shiver go through her body. She had never felt this way before, either. She had dated a guy for two years in high school, thinking it had been love at the time. Yet, she had never felt the connection that she felt with Will. She didn’t know what to think. It was all happening so fast. She never thought love would be so complicated, yet so simple.
“Let’s just take that slow, OK?” She kissed his lips and peeled herself off his lap. She smiled at him over her shoulder as she snatched up her clothes pile and headed out of the room to get dressed.
At twelve thirty, they headed over to Sarah’s parents’ house so Sarah could change and Will could meet her family. A black SUV with a driver, the same driver as last night, picked them up in the hotel garage. Sam made sure they got off safely, but stayed behind at the hotel, per Will’s request. Will wanted to meet Sarah’s family on equal terms, and he thought it might be intimidating if he brought his bodyguard. Will carried a small bag of clothes to change into at the house. He planned to work out in Sarah’s parents’ weight room because, as he put it, “If I don’t work out, they’ll recast my role in The Demigod sequel.”
The house, a two-story with a walk-out basement, was average sized for the older, established neighborhood. Situated on two acres of wooded land with a picturesque natural pond in the backyard. Sarah’s mom often used the pond as a backdrop for photo shoots with customers from her photography studio, and Sarah hoped no clients were scheduled to be at the house today.
Sarah and Will walked around the house to the patio door that led into the basement. Sarah was putting off talking to her parents for as long as she could. The walk of shame was not something she ever wanted to do in front of her parents. And even though there was no guilt in what she had done, she wasn’t quite sure what to say to them yet. She led Will through the large family room and down the hallway to the weight room. The weight room was small, with just the bare minimum of equipment—a treadmill and some free weights with a bench. It had a small television that hung on the wall in front of the treadmill and an iPod docking station with a radio that sat on the floor next to the door.
Sarah plugged in her iPod and turned on her favorite playlist. She set the volume low so she wouldn’t attract her parents’ attention and snuck upstairs to change into her workout clothes. By
the time she returned, Will was hard at work on the free weights. Sarah smiled at him as she secured the door. Then she jumped onto the treadmill and pushed the buttons to set up her jogging program. She knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to spend their entire workout gawking at him, so she shook her head and tried to look away.
After several minutes, however, he caught her staring at him, and said with amusement, “Stop ogling my biceps, Miss Austin.”
“I’m not ogling your biceps.”
“Oh, really?”
“I’m not. I’m ogling your pecs.”
Will flexed his pectoral muscles, and they both chuckled.
Sarah left Will after about thirty minutes to take a shower, and Will moved to the treadmill. Sarah was just finishing up with her makeup, which she wore very little of, when Will wandered up to her room to use the shower. She had told him where to find it. He was glistening with sweat, and she thought that he looked like he had just walked off a movie screen. No, she thought he looked like a god. She showed him where the towels were, kissed him on the lips, and left him to his shower.
Sarah softly hummed an EXpireD song as she meandered down the stairs to fill in her parents on Will and the concert. Sarah’s parents were used to having people make themselves at home in their house. They had a very relaxed attitude about houseguests. It probably came from owning a cabin on a lake up north. It was just part of the cabin mentality. There were always guests at the cabin—some were invited, and others would just show up. People the family barely knew would stay at the lake for days with Sarah’s family.
Jeff and Sarah’s friends were always at the house too. It was a welcoming place to hang out. They showered at the house, helped themselves to food from the refrigerator, and slept wherever they could find a space. That was just the atmosphere. So Sarah knew her parents wouldn’t have a problem with Will working out and showering at the house, but she wanted to answer all her mom’s questions before letting her have access to him.
Between the Raindrops Page 6