by Tara Wyatt
His hand rubbed a soothing path up and down her back, his heartbeat steady against her cheek. Anchoring her. Comforting her. Gradually, the wave of fear and the tears subsided, leaving her feeling wrung out.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked once she’d calmed down, his voice rumbling in his chest.
She looked up, and God, his face was right there. The furrowed brow, the sharp blue eyes, the lips and jaw that looked like a sculptor had spent years on them. The small cleft in his chin. A lock of hair had fallen onto his forehead, curling slightly. His dark brown hair was wavy and thick, but she suspected that it was actually curly and he tamed it.
Just like he tamed and controlled everything in his life, it seemed.
“I was so scared,” she whispered. “All I kept thinking about was the people I’d never get to see again—my brother, my parents, my friends—and everything I wanted to do with my life. I kept seeing the morbid headlines about the murder of two women in a home invasion. I felt angry at everything they were about to take from me. I…” She trailed off, not finishing her thought. She’d been about to say “I fought so fucking hard to survive six years ago that it’s not fair to have it end like this.” But he didn’t know about the cancer and what she’d been through. It wasn’t something she talked about, and it wasn’t like she and Max were friends. He was her boss, not her buddy.
His gaze held hers, a pained expression on his face.
“If you hadn’t come, I’d be dead.” She swallowed, fresh tears stinging her eyes. “I’d be dead.”
“Willa,” he said, his voice low and rough. His mouth was pressed into a firm line, his nostrils flared. Seeking out more of the comfort he was offering, she laid her head on his chest again, timing her breaths with his heartbeat.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you,” he said quietly after several moments. There was something about the tone of his voice that had her lifting her head.
Their eyes locked, and her stomach flipped at the heat shining out at her from his gaze. “Willa,” he said again, sounding almost as though he were in pain. He lifted a hand, tracing his thumb along her jaw. “Willa.”
Her heart beat wildly in her chest as his eyes dropped to her mouth. Another tremble coursed through her, but it wasn’t because of what she’d been through that night.
It was because of what was about to happen.
With agonizing slowness, he lowered his mouth to hers, pressing a gentle, almost chaste kiss to her lips. He pulled back slightly, his gaze still locked on her mouth, and she knew that he was giving her the chance to push him away. To say no.
When she didn’t, he lowered his face back down to hers.
I hope you’re as excited for Willa and Max’s story as I am! To get your copy of LOVE BUG, click here!
(PS—If you’re curious about Theo and Lauren’s story, click here to read STUPID LOVE).
Books by Tara Wyatt
The Prescotts
Stupid Love
Snow Job
Love Bug
* * *
Dallas Longhorns Series
Stealing Home
Wild Card
Caught Looking
Moon Shot
* * *
The Graysons
When Snowflakes Fall
Like Fresh Fallen Snow
Until the Sun Sets
The Complete Graysons Trilogy:
Can’t Help Falling in Love
* * *
The Blood and Glory Series
co-written with Harper St. George
Dirty Boxing
Take Down
No Contest
* * *
The Bodyguard Series
Necessary Risk
Primal Instinct
Chain Reaction
* * *
Standalone Titles
Royal Treatment
Nailed
Stripped
Little Blue Lines
* * *
For complete information on all of Tara’s books, visit www.tara-wyatt.com/books.
About the Author
Tara Wyatt is a contemporary romance and romantic suspense author. Known for her humor and steamy love scenes, Tara’s writing has won several awards, including the Golden Quill Award and the Booksellers’ Best Award. In 2018, she was a RITA® Finalist for her novella, Until the Sun Sets.
When she’s not hanging out with your next book boyfriend, she can be found reading, bingeing something on Netflix, and drinking wine. Tara lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with her husband, daughter, and the world’s cutest dachshund.
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