Unforgettable You

by Marci Bolden

  If any of the actors had caught on to the affair that was happening under their noses, they’d kept it to themselves. Carrie doubted that any of them had not figured it out. No one could take as many runs and random disappearances as she and Will had over the last few weeks without incurring suspicion.

  “I’ll see you around,” Grant said, forcing Carrie to tear her gaze from Will.

  “The next time you find yourself trapped in Iowa,” she said as he started toward one of the waiting cars.

  Looking at Will, she swallowed, despite how dry her mouth had suddenly gone. He gave her a sad smile as he stepped to her.

  “Call me. Let me know you got home safely.”

  “I will.” Taking her hand, he squeezed it tightly. “I’ll come visit soon.”

  “That’d be nice.” She smiled.

  Putting his back to the waiting cars, attempting to block them from view, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “If you need anything,” he whispered.

  Carrie nodded. “I’ll call.”

  He cupped her face for a moment before sliding his arms around her and pulling her against him. He held her tightly, giving her a moment to memorize his scent and the feel of his arms before finally easing his hold on her.

  His eyes locked on hers as she leaned away from him. “I’m going to miss you like crazy, Carolyn.”

  She smiled. “Me too, William.” Holding his hands in hers, she looked down at them, watching his thumb brush over a charm dangling from her bracelet. “You’d better go,” she finally said, lifting her gaze to his face. “You don’t want to miss your flight.”

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Hey, I was okay when you got here, wasn’t I?” she asked as lightly as she could.

  “Barely. Promise me that you’ll take care of yourself.”

  She lifted her hand, holding up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.” When he curled his hand around hers, pulling it to his heart, she sighed. “I’ll see you soon.”

  He nodded and held her gaze for a few more heartbeats before bending down and grabbing his suitcase. “Soon,” he agreed, turning away and walking down the stairs.

  Carrie stepped to the banister, leaning against the solid structure as she watched him leave. She smiled and waved when Grant rolled his window down and yelled another farewell her way and then told Will to hurry his ass up.

  The driver took Will’s bag and stuffed it in the back as Will opened the door to the SUV and turned around one last time. He hesitated before waving and disappearing behind the tinted windows.

  One by one, the vehicles pulled away. Her heart ached as the last one, the one carrying Will, started to move forward. Despite their promises to keep in touch, she feared that as soon as he left, the spell would be broken and their relationship would be forgotten. She tried to trust him, tried to believe what he’d told her, but the reality of their lives and the distance between them was too much for her to ignore.

  She watched Will’s vehicle disappear around the bend before heaving a sigh and looking up at the overcast sky, cursing the cooling weather and the rain that was sure to come before the day was over. Back inside, she closed the door and looked around the foyer as Will had done the day he’d arrived. She already hated how quiet and lonely the house felt.

  Stopping at the den, she thought of the impromptu get-togethers that had so frequently happened there. In the dining room, she began gathering the place settings. There was no need to have the table set. She and Doreen usually ate in the kitchen.

  Upstairs, she stripped the beds one by one, starting on the third floor and working her way down to the second. When she came to Will’s room, Carrie stared at the bed for several minutes before sinking onto the plush mattress and pulling his pillow from under the comforter. Holding it to her chest, Carrie dipped her face down and inhaled deeply, recognizing his scent. The ache in her heart grew. He’d only been there a few months, but having someone to share her life with—even if they did so in the shadows—had been so wonderful. He’d eased more of the burden weighing her down than she figured he’d realized. Probably more than she’d realized.

  The night before, after making love, he had curled her body against his and told her again that they were going to make it. She believed his determination, his desire, but she couldn’t quite allow herself to believe that it would happen. Time would take its toll; distance would seem to grow. Eventually, someone was going to have to give up one home for the other, and she couldn’t really see herself living in California any more than she could see him in Iowa.

  Their lives were different. Incompatible. And she couldn’t hide from that forever.

  The sound of floorboards creaking pulled her from her thoughts, and Carrie realized that tears had filled her eyes. Blinking rapidly, trying to hide them, she went to work on removing the pillow from the case, as if she’d been doing that all along.

  “You guys got back pretty quick,” she said, hoping her voice sounded lighter than she felt. “How’d it go?”

  When she didn’t get a response, she turned and her forced smile fell. She had expected to find Natalie standing in the door, but instead Will was there, watching her with an uncertain look. Her heart lifted, but that logical part of her refused to let her excitement grow.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He stood in the door staring at her. “I couldn’t leave.”

  “You couldn’t?”

  “Well, I could.” The corner of his mouth tilted in that way it did when he was uncertain. “But I didn’t want to.”

  Damn it. Her heart lifted, begged her to let the happiness in. “You didn’t?”

  “No. I didn’t.” His half smile faded when she continued to stare at him. “This reaction of yours, is this a good thing?”

  “What?”

  “I kind of had this whole running into each other’s arms reunion playing in my head, and you’re just sitting there.”

  Finally, she let the smile she’d been fighting light her face. “You surprised me.”

  “Clearly.”

  She set the pillow aside as she stood. “You came back.”

  “I did.”

  Trotting across the room, she threw her arms around his neck, laughing as he pulled her against him. “You came back!” She kissed him several times before hugging him again.

  “That’s more like it.” Will squeezed her tightly. “That’s much more like it.”

  “How long are you staying?”

  Will eased her down and shrugged. “As long as you’ll let me, I guess.”

  Her smile widened, but it only lasted a moment before concern caused her to frown. “But what are you going to do here, Will? Watch me take care of Mama?”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “Because you’re going to be bored out of your mind. That’s why.”

  “Hey,” he whispered. He took her face in his hands as his mouth met hers. He kissed her sweetly. “First things first. I’m here. I didn’t want to leave. That’s all that matters right now.”

  When her smile returned, he leaned down and kissed her again. As it lingered, she felt that familiar need filling her. Pulling away, she sucked at her bottom lip, still wet with his kiss. “Hold that thought.”

  She dug into her pocket, fishing for her phone. After pushing a few buttons, she smiled at him and held her hand out until he captured it and took it to his lips for a kiss. “Hey,” she said when Natalie answered. “How long till you’re done?” She bit her lip when Will turned her hand and kissed her wrist. “Well, I need you to take your time. I need at least an hour. Something came up,” she said, causing Will to laugh quietly. “Thank you.”

  She tossed her phone aside and gave him a seductive look. “You came back.”

  “You keep saying that.”

  “I still can’t believe it.”

  “Well,” he said, yanking her against him, “let me try to convince you.”

  Carrie exhaled slowly. She rolled her head back when
he dipped his head to capture her neck with kisses. His hands slid under the hem of her T-shirt and began pushing the material up. The process was painfully slow and seemed to take forever until he finally lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it aside.

  His arms went around her waist, and he pulled her against him as his mouth crashed into hers. He kissed her deeply, his fingertips digging into her sides as hers dug into his shoulders, trying desperately to not melt into a puddle at his feet.

  She felt like this was the real beginning of something. Not a fling, not a passing moment in her life, but something real. She’d been holding back, not wanting to believe this could last, but at that moment, she wanted it to. Wanted to believe in what he was offering her. She felt her heart give in a bit, and warmth rushed through her—not a physical heat, but something so much deeper.

  Breaking the kiss, she put her hand to his cheek and brushed her thumbs over his lips.

  He came back.

  The air rushed from her body. Even though she had given Will the right to be with her, she hadn’t given him the right to touch her so deeply, to make her feel things she’d never wanted to feel with anyone other than Mike. But here she stood, nearly naked, her heart racing as Will stared into her eyes, and her heart started to ache with something else. She wasn’t feeling lust and loneliness any longer. This was something more. Maybe love, maybe something close, but it was strong and undeniable, and it hit her so hard that she rocked back slightly.

  Carrie leaned into him, kissed him tenderly, afraid he’d see what she was feeling if she kept looking into his eyes.

  Using her hips, he steered her toward the bed as she went to work on the fly of his jeans. She had managed to release it before she bumped into the bed. Will cupped her head in his hand as he eased her back. Once she was lying down, his hand drifted over her shoulder and between her breasts, traveling lightly over her skin until he’d found the waist of her jeans. Carrie swallowed hard and let her eyes close as he went to work on removing her pants. Her only movement was to lift her hips so he could ease the denim down, leaving her clad in lacy black boy shorts and a red satin bra.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

  Opening her eyes, she smiled when she saw his intense desire had faded to something softer, something that seemed more like what she’d been feeling moments before.

  Sliding his hand beneath her, he slipped the hook of her bra, slid the straps off her shoulders, and watched as her breasts became visible. Leaning down, he slowly kissed each one, using the warmth of his mouth and the gentle pressure of his tongue to awaken them, suckling the nipples until they stood out, begging for more.

  Closing her eyes again, Carrie licked her lips. The heat of his breath moved over her breasts and her stomach as he placed soft kisses along her flesh. She moaned, feeling his heat between her legs. Thrashing at the feel of his nose brushing over her, she bit her lip and willed her body to take his sweet torture.

  When he exhaled against her center, Carrie’s back arched up and her hands balled into fists as his moist breath taunted her. Gently putting his nose against her, he slowly moved his head back and forth, eliciting a sound from deep in her throat.

  In response, he pressed his mouth against the lace of her panties and moved methodically, slowly bringing all of her to life. She was on the verge of begging for more when he moved away from her and began placing moist kisses over her thigh as he sat back.

  Lifting her leg over his shoulder, Will gently massaged the muscle of her thigh as he turned his head and opened his mouth over the back of her knee. As his kisses moved lower down her leg and she felt his breath on her ankle, she reminded herself to breathe.

  Opening her eyes, she looked at him, watching him watch her as he pressed his mouth into the arch of her foot for a moment before slowly lowering her leg and starting on the other one, this time working from her toes up.

  By the time he made it to her other knee, Carrie could have sworn that a simple touch would have sent her soaring into the heights of a climax she had never known before. God, the things this man was doing to her was putting her every nerve on edge, begging to be the next to receive his gentle touches and soft kisses.

  Hissing when he finally made it back to the top of her thigh, Carrie threw her head to one side, grinding her teeth together in a desperate attempt to keep her composure. When he gently pulled at her panties, she helped by lifting her hips slightly. Looking down at him, she watched as again his eyes filled with the burning intensity that had shaken her.

  This time, Carrie forced herself to keep her eyes on his when he looked at her, and she felt certain he was seeing into her soul. Swallowing hard as he tossed her panties aside and slowly moved back up her body, she watched him lower himself to her, not closing her eyes until she felt him against her and heard him inhale her scent deeply.

  She was jolted when he finally made contact with her soft flesh. The moment his tongue touched her, Carrie moaned from deep within, and when he tasted her deep inside, she gasped as her muscles clenched against her will.

  Again, Will moved his head, pushing his mouth harder against her. A moment later, she was groaning wildly, her back arched, her legs wrapped around his shoulders, holding him to her as her body released all that he had slowly built up within her.

  As soon as she started to relax, Will stood up and jerked his pants off. She closed her eyes and took several breaths as she listened to the familiar sound of a condom being torn open. A moment later, he slithered up her body and looked down at her. His hands brushed her hair from her face, and he smiled as he slipped into her.

  Rolling her hips to meet his, she grinned at the look in his eyes. He looked like he could stay in this moment forever. It didn’t take long for her to realize he was getting close to coming; she could hear it in his moans. It amazed her that she knew his signals.

  Touching his face, she held his gaze as they moved together, and she felt something akin to love grow inside of her. She embraced it as he leaned down and kissed her again.

  Digging her fingers in his hair, she held him there, his mouth locked with hers as her body began another climb to ecstasy. He pulled back enough to put his forehead to hers and whisper her name as he thrust his hips forward, burying himself so deeply it made her gasp. He slowly pulled back and thrust again. The next time was all it took for every muscle in her body to tense and cling to him.

  That was all he needed to finish himself, and she clung to him as he groaned with the power of his release.

  Chapter 20

  Will moved carefully as he put a playing card on the very top of an intricately designed stack. When the queen was balanced, and he was certain the card wouldn’t fall, he leaned back and took another from the table.

  “What are you doing?” Carrie whispered from the doorway.

  He hesitated in turning his head, as if the air current would make the cards go tumbling down. “Architecture,” he answered in the same hushed tone.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  He looked at the cards, carefully balanced on top of each other. “Thanks.”

  He followed the same procedure as before, moving slowly, steadying the card, and then pulled back.

  “Are you okay?”

  He was okay. He was fine. But he was restless. He’d spent more time the last few weeks pacing, wandering, wondering, and fidgeting than he could remember. He and Carrie had fallen into a routine that he knew was normal for most people—other than the fact that he was now answering to his girlfriend’s dead husband’s name where Doreen was concerned. He was quite certain that wasn’t the norm. “Um. I’m bored out of my mind.”

  “You don’t say.”

  He considered his work of art before taking a deep breath and blowing, destroying his card castle. When her arms slid around his shoulders from behind, he couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t know what to do with myself.”

  “I can tell.”

  “Suggestions?”

  She kissed h
is cheek and whispered, “Nothing appropriate for the middle of the morning.”

  Will smiled, but his lips fell quickly. “Three weeks without working, and I’m going insane. This is pathetic.”

  “It’s not. You’re used to being active.”

  He started gathering the cards. “I was looking forward to relaxing.”

  “Which you have done.”

  “In abundance.”

  She chuckled and gently nipped his earlobe. “What would you like to do?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Carrie pulled her arms from around him and sat in the chair next to him. Worry seemed to fill her eyes. “Ready to go home yet?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying.”

  She smiled, but the effort didn’t look sincere. “Just checking.”

  Will took her hand. “I’m not used to not working.”

  “Well, you were considering a change in direction.”

  “I still am.” He picked up a few cards and let them fall again. “I wish I knew what direction that was.”

  “Now is as good a time as any to figure it out. You said before that if you weren’t acting, you’d write.”

  Will looked at her with raised brows. “And?”

  “And…there’s an office right down the hall. Get in there and write something.”

  “Write something? Just like that?”

  She shrugged. “Why not?”

  “What am I going to write?”

  “Don’t ask me.” She put her fingertips to his cheeks and kissed him softly. “But whatever it is, at least I won’t have to keep watching you mope around.”

  When she left, Will gathered the mess of cards on the table and contemplated her words. After piling up the cards, he walked into her office and sat in front of the monitor. He stared at the screen for several long moments before moving the mouse to bring the computer to life. Then he stared even longer before opening the program. The white screen stared back at him, the cursor blinking, waiting for him to make some kind of decision.

  “Okay,” he sighed, putting his fingertips to the keyboard. “Write something.”