by Marci Bolden
“You’re moving better today,” he observed. Before long, she’d be back to running the house, and Juliet and Donnie could quit complaining about how Natalie and Mama weren’t proficient enough at serving food, cleaning up, and everything else they’d come to rely on Carrie to do.
“Feeling better today.”
“Did you talk to Doreen’s doctor?”
She nodded. “We have an appointment the day after tomorrow. Which is good timing, since that’s when I go back in to see if I can stop wearing this stupid sling.”
“If you would stop using your arm,” he pointed out, “the swelling would go down faster.”
“Yes, I heard.”
“From?”
“Natalie.”
“Bossy, isn’t she?”
Carrie chuckled and nodded. “And nosey.”
“Nosey?”
She inhaled as she absently turned the mug that he’d put in front of her. “She’s curious what’s going on between us.”
Will couldn’t blame Natalie for that. He was curious himself. He hadn’t quite been able to pinpoint what he was feeling, but he knew he felt something for Carrie. A protectiveness that had become dominant in the last few days, a sense of intrigue because she wasn’t like the women he’d come to know in the movie industry, and more than anything else, the attraction that he couldn’t deny. “And what did you tell her?”
“That I don’t know.” Leaning back in the chair, Carrie held his stare. “Are you really interested in something beyond the next few weeks, Will?”
“Yes,” he said softly.
“You aren’t going to get back to LA and wonder what the hell you were thinking?”
“No. I’m not.”
She exhaled slowly. “I don’t want to let myself care about you just so you can disappear.”
Reaching across the counter, he covered her hand. “That’s not going to happen, Carrie.”
“It scares me how different our lives are,” she admitted. “I can’t leave this place, and I don’t think you’d want to be here.”
“I agree that there are things we can’t ignore forever, but they don’t have to be resolved right now. We may decide a month from now that this isn’t what we want. But right now, tonight, I can’t imagine that happening. All I want right now is to get to know you better.”
She smiled as she squeezed his hand. “I feel the same.”
“That’s good. I’d feel like an ass if you didn’t.”
Carrie laughed quietly. “I’m sorry. I swear I’m not trying to corner you into some kind of emotional guarantee.”
“I get it,” he whispered. “You’ve had a hard time lately.”
She looked at him with sad brown eyes. “I don’t need complications.”
“So let’s not complicate it.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Let’s do this thing one day at a time, okay? If we’re done analyzing this thing, can we talk about our date?”
“Sure.”
“I want to take you someplace really nice. Someplace very fancy.” He scrunched up his face as he confessed, “But I haven’t a clue where that could be. So, if you have to pick the place and make our reservations, does that still count as me taking you out?”
Carrie laughed. “I’ll make an exception and say yes, it still counts as you taking me out.”
“Okay. So you pick the place, you make the reservations, you tell me when, and I’ll pick you up in the foyer.”
“That works for me.”
“Good.” Will stood, ready to kiss her, when they heard laughter filtering from the other room. “Come with me.” Pulling her behind him, he led her outside and into the shadows. “One of these days I’m going to kiss you without being worried about who may see.”
“One of these days.”
Chapter 13
Carrie started down the stairs, still moving slowly, but at least moving. She sighed nervously when she noticed Will standing in the foyer waiting for her. That voice started nagging her, warning her not to get attached, but she pushed it down. One night. Damn it, she was going to have one night without the fear and the dread and the anxiety. Natalie was looking after Mama. Carrie had the evening to herself and was determined to enjoy it with Will.
When he turned and smiled, her heart did a flip and landed with a thud in her chest. God, he had an amazing smile. She didn’t have to wonder how or why he’d risen to the top of the movie industry. The world hadn’t stood a chance against that smile. Neither had she.
Dressed in light-colored slacks and a button-down shirt that was open at the collar, he looked even more handsome than ever. She couldn’t quite believe that he was interested in her, but she’d given him plenty of outs and he hadn’t taken a single one.
“You look beautiful,” he said smoothly as she stepped onto the wood floor next to him.
She looked down at her casual, knee-length, light yellow sundress and red-painted toes peeking out of her white sandals. Her bruises had faded but were still visible despite her extra layer of foundation. She’d given up trying to hide her war wounds. It wasn’t like he didn’t know they were there.
Her arm was no longer in a sling, though, and for that she was incredibly grateful.
“Thank you. And you. Wow.”
He grinned and gave her one of those longing looks that always set her pulse racing. “Are we ready for our big date?” he whispered in case someone was around to hear.
They had let everyone know they were going out to dinner, but Carrie had made it clear the meal was to thank Will for helping her when she’d fallen down the stairs, hence her insistence on casual dress.
If anyone knew or suspected otherwise, they said nothing.
“Not that way,” she said when Will started toward the front door. “Out back.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “Do you have a horse-drawn carriage out there?”
“Hardly.” She chuckled. “Just come with me.”
Will followed her lead, going down the hallway, out the back door, and across the backyard to the jogging path.
It was then that Will finally spoke. “Carrie?”
“Yes?”
“Where are we going?”
“Dinner.”
“I’m pretty sure I suggested reservations at a restaurant.”
She stopped and looked back up the path, happy that she could barely see the house through the lush, green trees. “I thought about all the nice restaurants that I know in Des Moines. I even thought of a few not-so-nice restaurants, and I came to the same conclusion every time.”
“Which was?”
“No matter where we had dinner, fancy or not, we were going to be stared at all night. I know that you had something else in mind, but I want to enjoy a nice evening without feeling any more self-conscious than I would on any other first date, so I made alternate plans.”
He smiled after contemplating her reasoning. “I like your plan much better.”
“Really?” She crinkled her nose. “Because I was afraid I was being a little bit of a baby.”
“Not at all. I’m used to people staring. I don’t even notice anymore, but I completely understand that it bothers you.”
“So this is okay?”
“This”—he dipped his head down to put a soft kiss to her lips—“is perfect.”
“Good.” Taking his hand, she started down the path again. “I hope you like what I packed.”
“I have yet to be disappointed by your cooking.”
“That’s a good answer. I like that.”
Pulling her closer, Will wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her head as they walked. “So where is this private dinner for two taking place?”
“Well, I thought it would be really nice to sit out and watch the sun setting, but I didn’t want to get pestered to death by bugs while we were eating.” Carrie lowered her face and her cheeks heated. “I have the food in a cooler at that little cabin where we waited out the rain.”
Will smile
d at the way she averted her gaze. “Why do you look so guilty?”
“Because,” she said, still looking away, “I feel like I’m giving you the completely wrong idea of my expectations for the evening by taking you to an isolated cabin.”
“What idea do you think you’re giving me?”
Carrie closed her eyes and shook her head. “I hate when you pick on me.”
“You love when I pick on you,” he countered.
She would have argued, but he leaned in and kissed her sweetly and she did that swooning thing that he somehow always conjured up.
“I’m starving,” she said after he broke away. “Let’s get there so we can eat.”
Will put his arm around her again as they moved along the path, veering off when they neared the cabin. He held her hand, reminding her to be careful as she walked through the higher grass in her sandals. At the cabin, he pushed the door open and stepped aside, allowing her to go first.
As she slid past Will, a quiet chuckle escaped him, causing her cheeks to heat with a blush again.
“Stop it,” she said. Inside, she turned her focus to pulling food out of the cooler.
“What can I do?”
“Sit and relax.” She walked to the table with an insulated container and filled two bowls with salad and a homemade dressing, setting one across from him. “I hope you like it.”
Will swallowed a bite, pretending to contemplate the taste before putting his hands to this throat and making a gagging noise.
She gasped and swatted his shoulder. “You are being awful tonight.”
Smiling, he watched her attempt to scowl at him. “It’s wonderful. As is everything you serve.”
“I think I’ve changed my mind about you,” she said as they returned to eating the appetizer.
“It’s too late. You already adore me.”
Carrie held his gaze, intentionally filling her mouth with vegetables rather than responding.
His smile widened even further. “Admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“That you adore me.”
Again, she slipped her fork between her lips, refusing to answer him.
“All right.” Dropping his napkin on the table, Will stood. “You asked for it.”
“What are you doing?”
“Proving that you adore me.” Stepping around the table, he bent so his nose was almost brushing hers. “You made me do it,” he whispered before closing the small gap between them and claiming her mouth with his.
Cupping her face with his hands, he gently held her as he pushed his tongue between her lips. When she moaned and gently touched his cheek, Will leaned back and rested his forehead on hers. “Admit that you adore me, or I’ll have to do that again.”
“You are terrible at issuing ultimatums.” She leaned forward, kissing him and then breaking away when the moment intensified. Licking her lips, she shook her head slightly. “This is going to be a very long night, isn’t it?”
“I hope so.” Will returned to his seat across from her. “It’s your fault.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “You look amazing. I had to kiss you.”
“Hmm, I so frequently have that problem.”
“I bet you do.” He stabbed at his salad. “This really is very good.”
Small talk filled the cabin as they finished the appetizer and then worked together to serve the main course. Will held the plates while Carrie served pasta onto them. At the table, he poured wine into their glasses.
She sat across from him but didn’t touch her food.
“What are you thinking?” Will asked.
“Nothing that’s appropriate for dinner conversation.”
“Come on,” he said. “Tell me.”
Carrie set her wine down and draped her napkin across her lap. “Actually, I don’t want to think about what I was thinking.”
His smile faded. “What is it?”
“Even if you leave and I never hear from you again, I’m glad we’re here. I’m glad we have this time together.”
Reaching across the table, he waited for her to put her hand in his. When she did, he squeezed it. “I’m not going to just walk away.”
“But if you did—” she started.
“I’m not.”
“But if you did.”
Will chuckled. “My God, you’re impossible.”
“I want to clear the air so there are no pretenses about what’s going on here.”
“What do you think is going on here?”
Carrie shrugged. “I think two lonely people have found an unexpected way to connect. I think we both have the best of intentions. But I deal with enough delusions with Doreen, Will. I don’t need any of my own. I have to stay grounded in reality.”
“That makes it really hard to sweep you off your feet.”
Carrie smiled. “I’m pretty sure you’ve already done that.”
“Oh yeah? When?” he asked.
“Sometime between sitting by the fire and nursing me back to health.”
Will grinned broadly. “Damn. I’m good.”
“Yes, you are.” Standing, she pulled him to his feet with her. Stroking his face, she searched his eyes before leaning in and kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Breathless, she broke the kiss and chuckled. “We had better eat before it gets cold.”
“I’m not very hungry.”
“No?”
“No,” he said under his breath, and Carrie’s heart started to pound as she realized the banter was about to come to an end.
Will gently caressed Carrie’s curves, moving over her hips, pulling her to him. She moaned into his mouth and tangled her fingers into his hair as he pushed his face into her neck and started nipping at her skin. When she whispered his name and pulled him even closer to her, he wrapped his arms around her and walked her to the small bed, where he eased her down.
Carrie wrapped her legs around his, and he ran his hands down her thighs. As he moved his hands higher again, he inched her skirt up and his heart raced faster with every inch of her skin he discovered. He planted kisses along her jaw until he found her lips again.
As he pushed his tongue into her mouth, Carrie slid her hands between them and started undoing the buttons of his shirt. She pushed the material open, sliding the shirt down his shoulders, and then lifted her head off the stiff mattress to lick his exposed flesh.
While he pulled away from her to discard his shirt, Carrie grasped the hemline of her dress. Will stood back, watching as she sat up and pulled the material over her head. She tossed her dress to the floor with his shirt and immediately reached for his belt. Within moments, his pants fell. He kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants as she brushed her nose along the waistband of his underwear.
“Jesus,” he said as she slowly exhaled hot moisture over him.
“There are condoms—” she started.
“Yeah,” he said, more than prepared. “I brought some.”
She chuckled when he bent down to where his pants had fallen and pulled out a row of six, letting them dangle for her to see.
“Wow,” she teased. “That’s very ambitious.”
He tore one free. “I aim to please.”
“Repeatedly, I see,” she said, causing him to laugh. Carrie slipped her shoes off and then turned on the bed and lay back on the mattress.
He stretched out beside her on the tiny bed and set the foil packet within reach. As he gently ran his fingertips up the inside of her thigh, he leaned down and kissed her sweetly. The kiss lingered as he teasingly traced the leg band of her panties. “I like these,” he whispered, “but they have to go.”
Carrie lifted her hips enough that he could slide the thin barrier off. He leaned back as he eased them down her legs and over her feet. As he moved between her legs and hovered over her, he noticed what seemed to be hesitance in her eyes.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
&nb
sp; “Yeah,” she said as she looked away.
Brushing a hand over her hair, he waited until she met his eyes again. “I don’t want you to think you have to do this.”
She put her hands to his cheeks. “I never, not even for a moment, thought you’d expect me to do something I didn’t want to. It’s just…this is the first time since…you know,” she said as her voice faded.
The first time since…Mike. Shit. This was her first time since her husband had died. “Oh, Carrie,” Will said as he started to move away from her.
She grabbed his arms and stopped him. “I’m fine.”
“You say that a lot, you know.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned up and kissed him softly. “That’s because I am. Please, Will,” she said, giving him a sweet smile. “I want this. I do.”
“Are you sure?”
She pulled him down, and he kissed her again. When he leaned back, the hesitancy he’d seen in her eyes was gone. Reaching for the condom, he tore the packet open and sat back to put the protection in place. Moments later, their gazes locked as he slid into her, moving slowly until he was deep inside. He loved the feel of their bodies coming together.
Will planted soft kisses on her face and neck, taking his time as he made love to her. And she didn’t seem to be upset that he was making love to her, not just having sex, not just seeking pleasure, but giving it in return. The most unexpected thing was that he didn’t mind, either.
Chapter 14
As soon as Carrie opened her eyes the following morning, a smile curved her lips. Stretching as she rolled the night before through her mind, she giggled. It had been nearly impossible for her to say goodnight to Will, and he’d told her it wasn’t much easier for him.
When they’d reached the house, he’d pulled her into the shadows as he’d done before and kissed her fully on the lips, one more time, before they’d parted ways. Even now, she could still feel his breath on her neck as he’d whispered how much the night had meant to him.
Carrie probably could have stayed in bed all morning, recollecting the evening, engraving every word and every touch into her memory, but she decided it would be much more fun to see him in person. She jumped out of bed and rushed through her morning routine so she could get downstairs.