She performed her morning routine and rushed out to the team facility in order to work on everyone’s pulled and stiff muscles and injuries from the game. As per usual on a Monday, her day was jam-packed, as were all the trainers on staff.
She didn’t see Braden, which meant he was tied up with more serious injuries and filling the coaches in on each situation. By the time she had a few minutes for lunch, it was two o’clock.
She gestured with a tip of her head for Steffy to join her, and they locked themselves in Willow’s office for a few blessed minutes of peace and quiet. Unfortunately it didn’t last long, and soon they were back working with the team.
By the time she grabbed her bag to head home, she was exhausted. The parking lot was devoid of people but filled with cars of those still working. She approached her vehicle, about to hit the open button on the key fob in her hand.
“Working late?” Cole popped out of seemingly nowhere, from between two cars, one next to hers.
“You scared me.” Her pulse sped up and she placed a hand over her chest. “Where did you come from?”
He’d walked around her and stood beside her car as he tipped his head toward where he’d come from. But neither was his vehicle and she narrowed her gaze. “I need to get going.”
“You shouldn’t walk to your car alone. It’s not safe.” He leaned against her Ford Focus, blocking her way.
Cole, who’d always been an easygoing guy, was starting to frighten her. “It’s perfectly safe. There’s a security guard at the entrance to the lot,” she said, as much to remind him as to reassure herself.
“I used to walk you out,” he said, his gaze never leaving hers. “Is your new boyfriend too busy to be bothered?”
“Braden isn’t my boyfriend. And nothing about me is your business anymore. Now if you’ll excuse me, I want to get to my car.”
Taking his time, he stood straighter and walked toward her. She held her ground, and he stepped aside only when he would have knocked into her.
She didn’t know what kind of game he was playing but she didn’t like it. And though she didn’t want to, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was walking away, only to find him watching her.
A shiver raced through her, and she unlocked her vehicle, climbed in, and locked the doors behind her, letting out a relieved breath. Maybe it was a coincidence he’d been standing by the cars … even if it seemed like he’d been waiting for her, but he’d shaken her up anyway. She had a hard time believing Cole was dangerous, but his behavior was odd at best, stalkerish at the worst.
Once she calmed down, she pulled her car out of the spot, avoided driving by the facility’s side entrance, not wanting to see if Cole still stood watching her. Instead she took the long way to reach the guard station.
She relaxed on the highway home, and by the time she parked her car and entered her apartment, she’d decided Cole was just put out about Braden and had acted out of character. It was best for her to put the incident behind her.
The apartment was empty, and she caught sight of a note on the small kitchen table. Aurora had gone to visit Merry, her old boss, and her husband. She wouldn’t be home for dinner, something Willow hadn’t given a thought. She’d been away over the weekend, and the food in the fridge wasn’t fresh since she usually grocery shopped on Saturday morning.
A glance in the fridge told her she was wrong. Aurora must have gone shopping, because the inside was filled with healthy food. Looking in the freezer, she saw premade store-bought meals she could heat in the microwave. From the amount of food, Aurora had obviously bought for two, probably wanting to do something to pay Willow back. And though she hadn’t had to, Willow appreciated her efforts especially since she was so hungry.
She took a quick shower and grabbed her clothing for tomorrow from her bedroom. Wearing a pair of matching pajama shorts and a tank top, she opened the freezer to take out an easy meal when the doorbell rang.
She padded over in her bare feet and suddenly remembered her run-in with Cole. Worried he might have decided to pay her a visit, she glanced in the peephole, relieved and surprised to see Braden’s face.
Opening the door, she realized he had a pizza box in his hand. “Braden! I’m so glad it’s you,” she said, expelling a sigh of relief.
Curiosity and concern etched his features.
“Were you expecting someone else?” he asked, brows furrowed.
“I– No.” She didn’t think he needed to hear about her run-in with her ex. “What is this?” She gestured to the delicious-smelling food in his hand and asked, despite it being obvious.
“I thought I’d surprise you and Aurora with dinner. I called but no one answered your cell. Hopefully I’m not too late?”
He looked like a hopeful boy with his sheepish grin, but in truth he was all man in his gray sweats, which, it went without saying, showed off his attributes. His Thunder tee shirt hugged his muscles. And the day’s growth of beard gave him a scruffy, sexy appearance. His hair was messed as if he’d been running his hands through the strands, and if he’d had a day like she had, she understood the desire. She had the impulse to touch the soft strands, too.
She cleared her throat. “Actually you’re just in time. Come on in.” She waved him inside and locked the door behind her, unsure if she was happier to see him or the food. “But Aurora is out. She left a note she went to visit Merry, the woman who owns the diner where she used to stay.”
“I remember.” He headed directly for the kitchen and placed the box on the counter. “So this means I get you all to myself.” He sounded pleased by the prospect, and she couldn’t deny she wasn’t too upset herself.
“You do.” She opened a cabinet and reached for plates, setting them down on the table while he picked up the box and set it down in front of them. “Let me see what we have to drink. Aurora went shopping while I was away.”
She returned with two cans of ginger ale. “Obviously she’s caffeine free,” Willow said with a grin. “Or would you prefer water?”
“This is good.” He grabbed napkins, and they settled in beside each other at the round table. “Just like old times,” he said, treating her to a sincere smile.
He was too sweet, and she didn’t want to come back with a snarky answer about their past. “It is,” she said instead.
He put a slice of plain pizza on her plate before taking one for himself. Obviously he remembered she was fussy and didn’t like any toppings.
“I barely had time to grab a protein bar for lunch today,” she said, picking up the slice and taking a huge bite. She didn’t care how it looked, her empty stomach needed food.
“Same here.” He took a bite, too, chewed, and swallowed.
“So excuse me if I devour this,” she said, taking more.
He chuckled and ate in silence. Finally, three slices later and she wasn’t even embarrassed, she felt full. He’d finished as well, and she quickly cleaned up, with him helping her, and they moved to the couch in the den.
She sat down and he settled in, turning to face her. Sensing he wanted to talk, she did the same.
“So, I know the season is crazy, and there’ll never be real downtime,” he began.
Wondering where he was going with his train of thought, she remained silent and waited for him to continue.
“I was hoping that we could still find time to catch up.” He shook his head. “No, that’s not right. Actually I hoped we could talk about ourselves and things we didn’t get into last time we were together. I want you to know me this time. And I want to know you.” He reached out and grasped her hand, running a thumb over her skin.
She swallowed hard. “You already know a lot,” she murmured, nerves bouncing around in her stomach because this kind of emotional intimacy was hard for her. Harder still because both things he wanted to discuss brought up painful memories for her.
A wry smile lifted his lips. “Not really. I didn’t know the details you told Aurora about how you grew up. And you don’t kno
w why I left, something I didn’t realize until I was gone.”
“Braden–”
“We don’t have a real second chance without truth and honesty between us,” he said in a roughened voice.
Was that what she wanted? she asked herself. A real chance at a future? Even if it meant being willing to open herself up and be vulnerable? Or did she want to do as she’d promised herself, have sex and keep her heart to herself?
* * *
Braden waited for her to reply, knowing the fate of their relationship and any kind of future depended on her answer. He’d given them a lot of thought since their night together. Considering the football season commitments and work, wining and dining her would be difficult but he had every intention of trying. And sex was amazing, and of course he wanted her in his bed, but unless she opened up, their chances of succeeding as a couple was slim. He needed her on board.
He looked into her big blue eyes as she nodded. “Okay, but I can only handle one of those big subjects at a time.”
He reached a hand out, brushed her hair off her shoulder, and cupped her cheek. “That works for me, beautiful. What do you want to talk about first?” He dropped his hand onto his lap and waited for her to choose.
He hoped she’d pick their relationship so he could explain what he’d learned by going, taking time away from his family, the career he’d been building, even and most importantly, leaving her.
“So about my childhood. Obviously, it’s not something I like to discuss because it means I have to remember a really painful period in my life, and it wasn’t just a short period of time.”
He slipped his hands into hers and waited for her to talk.
“You heard what I told Aurora, that my mom didn’t pick me up from school one day. But I didn’t tell her about the time before then. Or each place I lived before the Jonases’.” She began to pull her hand back and he held on tight. “Why does this matter?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Because it goes to the core of why you don’t trust, that’s why. And because I want to know all of you.” It was the only way they’d truly connect the way they needed to, he thought.
“Okay.” She exhaled a deep breath and kept her gaze on their intertwined hands. “My mother wasn’t interested in being a parent, so I guess you could say she emotionally abandoned me long before she actually left.”
“How so?”
She lifted her legs and wrapped her arms around them, not meeting his gaze. “She brought men home. Different men.”
His gut churned as she began to speak, anger filling him on behalf of the little girl she’d been.
She released his hands. “And she’d lock me in my room while they were over. Sometimes she’d forget to give me dinner because she was busy putting her face on, as she called it, so I went to bed hungry. But I usually couldn’t sleep, and I could hear them through the paper-thin walls of the apartment. I guess you could say I learned early on my feelings and what I needed didn’t count for much.”
His hands curled into tight fists. Maybe it wasn’t fair to make her relive these moments. “Willow, on second thought–”
She shook her head. “No. You wanted to know? I’m going to tell you.” Drawing a deep breath, she went on. “One day, Mom didn’t pick me up from school, and after I spent the afternoon at the police station, a woman from social services showed up to take me to my temporary home. Until they found my mom.”
“Except they didn’t,” he said, stomach twisting with pain for her.
“Nope. And that began my rotation of foster families.” Her legs slid back down to the floor with a thud, and she faced him again. “Some were decent, some were in it for the money, some had too many kids, most weren’t all that interested in our lives. If social services needed to add a younger child to a home, I’d get bumped to someone who’d take older kids, sometimes with no notice. Just pack your bag and let’s go. And by bag I mean trash bag.”
He winced and, for the first time, looked around her small apartment, really taking in his surroundings. The couch was generic, one you could find in any retail store, the pillows matching, but there were no personal mementos. No photographs of family or friends, nothing he sensed had sentimental value.
The desire to fill her place with warmth and family gripped him and wouldn’t let go. She deserved so much more than she had in life, and knowing she was sleeping on the sofa so Aurora would have a comfortable bed showed him she gave more than she took. Or expected.
“Enough,” he said in a gruff voice. “It hurts to hear how you grew up.”
“But isn’t that what you wanted? To know everything?”
He nodded. “I just didn’t know how much it would break my heart.” Grasping her wrist, he pulled her toward him, and she came willingly, her body falling on top of his.
“I need to hold you.” He needed to make her forget. Hell, he needed to put her story somewhere where it wouldn’t hurt.
He shifted positions until they were comfortable and he was stretched out on the couch, Willow’s sweet body cushioned on top of him. And then they were making out, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, desire pulsing through him. His cock throbbed against her core, and when she shifted her hips, she moaned.
Never breaking the kiss, he worked his hand between them and slid his fingers into her flimsy shorts and panties, finding her soaking wet. She rolled to the side closest to the cushions, giving him room to play. He dipped his fingers lower and spread her arousal around her sex, teasing her with long caresses and not so innocent pinches that had her squirming and arching into his hand.
“I wish we could go into the bedroom,” he said, his throbbing cock knowing it wasn’t going to get any relief tonight. But more because he wanted to make love to her and soothe her after he’d forced her to relive the memories.
She shook her head. “It’s Aurora’s bed for now, and no way do we have time to change sheets after. It’s making out like teenagers or nothing.”
He nipped at her bottom lip. “I’ll take the making out, but next time you’re coming to my place.”
“No arguing there,” she murmured, surprising him with how pliant and willing she was in his arms. “Now hurry up and make me come, because I don’t know when Aurora will be back, and I want to have time for you.” Her eyes gleamed with naughtiness.
Obviously she’d put the heaviness of their conversation behind her, something he assumed she’d learned how to do. Compartmentalize the pain so she could survive.
He refocused on Willow, gliding his fingers over her pussy back and forth, until he inched his way to her clit. A full-body shudder told him she was close, and he began to rub her in easy circles until she grabbed his wrist and positioned his palm exactly where she needed pressure.
She arched her hips and rolled her sex against his hand. A glance at her face showed him flushed cheeks and lightly parted lips. So beautiful, he thought, and refusing to disappoint her, he rocked his hand back and forth, taking her higher. His own erection strained against his sweats, but he ignored his need in favor of hers.
Suddenly she cried out, stiffening as she came. He pressed and circled his hand harder as she rode out her orgasm, the satisfaction he gained from watching her come and giving her pleasure beyond anything he could have imagined.
She grew lax against him and sighed, obviously sated as he ran his hand back and forth over her hair. “Your turn,” she said, her fingers walking their way over his shirt, pulling the hem out of the way.
He groaned, and just as her fingers were about to inch beneath his sweats, the sound of keys in the lock jolted them to action. Willow rolled off him and maneuvered into a sitting position while he did the same, pulling a throw pillow from the chair beside them over his lap. No way did he want Aurora getting a view of his dick.
They glanced at each other and grinned. Knowing there was no way to hide what they’d been up to, he braced himself.
“Hi,” Aurora called out as she let herself in. The door slammed and locked
behind her, and in a few steps, she caught sight of them on the sofa. “Oh! I didn’t realize you had company. And I’m interrupting. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. You’re fine.” Willow rose to her feet, something much easier for her to do than him. “How was your dinner?”
“Nice. It was good to see Merry.” She glanced at Braden and blushed.
“I’m glad you’re keeping in touch with her,” he said, not wanting Aurora to be uncomfortable.
The young woman smiled. “Umm, I’m going to wash up and get ready for bed,” she said, quickly excusing herself and rushing into the bedroom.
Braden cleared his throat. “I think I should go,” he said, finally rising and getting rid of the pillow.
“Sorry about that.” Willow looked at the bulge in his pants.
He grinned. “I’m not. I got to make you come,” he said in a low voice. “Well worth the discomfort.”
Willow shook her head and walked him to the door. “Thanks again for dinner.”
“Thank you for opening up to me.” It was an amazing start. He stepped closer and kissed her lips. “Come home with me after work tomorrow? You can follow me home, stay over, and leave before me,” he said, before she could come up with a work excuse. Like not wanting to show up at the same time and get people talking.
She hesitated and he wondered if he’d pushed too fast.
“Okay,” she murmured. “I’ll put an overnight bag in my car.”
He felt as if they’d taken a huge step tonight, and he was beyond hopeful for the future.
* * *
After Braden left, Willow convinced Aurora to come out of the bedroom and hang out with her for a little while. Willow hadn’t opened her bed yet, so they could sit on the sofa and relax. They’d done this a couple of times this week, and Willow had begun to enjoy the company. Of course, she had Steffy and their wine nights, though they hadn’t had one of those in a while, but she liked her talks with Aurora, too.
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