And Willow’s the one who’s supposed to be leaving this time.
Grabbing the corners of the blanket I found in the backseat of my truck, I give it a shake before laying it down on the grass. Willow stands with her hands clasped in front of herself, her expression soft, her lips warm with a slight curve to them.
“I haven’t been here in years,” she says quietly as I bend down, straightening out the sides of the blanket. I lower myself down onto it, motioning for her to follow. Willow tucks her dress around her knees and wraps my coat around her body as she drops down onto the blanket. Her bare legs brush against mine as she sits beside me, hip to hip.
“Why not?”
Her chest rises and falls as she lets out a soft breath. She looks up at the sky before turning to me, her gaze meeting mine. “This always felt like our spot. It didn’t feel right coming here without you.”
My heart stumbles over itself. I plant my hands behind me and lean back on them as I study the side of her face. “I’m glad you didn’t bring anyone else here.”
Willow looks back at me, the corners of her mouth tipping up into a smile, crinkling the skin around her eyes. “Me too.”
She mimics my actions, planting her hands back behind her body at an angle and when her arm brushes against mine, neither of us dare to move. She tilts her head back, and her hair falls down her back, hanging between her shoulders.
Her hip is pressed to mine, her arm rests along mine, and if I move my finger a fraction of an inch, that part of my body will be touching hers too. I make a mental note, taking a count of every point of contact with her, wrapping around me like a soft blanket.
This is it, all or nothing. Holding my breath, I take the leap—that risk I know I shouldn’t indulge in because she’s my best friend’s little sister and off limits. I sweep my forefinger along hers. Willow inhales sharply, her entire body rigid as I pause. At first, I keep my finger just against hers and then ever so slightly, I lift it over hers, brushing against her knuckle.
A ragged, shallow breath falls from her lips as I drag my finger back along the side of hers. Her body relaxes and she starts mimicking my movements, brushing her finger up and over mine and back again. Time is suspended and my heart is a goddamn fluttering mess inside my chest as we go back and forth, tangling our fingers together.
I don’t know how long we stay like this, both of our heads tipped back, staring up at the twinkling stars in the night sky as our fingers wrap around one another. Her skin is soft, like the finest silk. I want to memorize the way she feels and the tenderness in the subtle touch.
“You didn’t finish what you were saying at the bar.”
Her voice is barely above a whisper, but there’s no way I would have missed it, not with how tuned in I am to Willow Alder.
I swallow hard as I keep my gaze trained on the sky above. “What was I saying?”
She turns to look at me, but she doesn’t move her hand from mine. “You know how you said you’d always come find me?”
“Yeah,” I say, my voice hoarse as I pull my hand away, twisting my torso to face her as I sit upright. “I meant that.”
Willow sits upright and shifts her body until she’s facing me head on. “You started to say something else after that.”
The muscle in my jaw tightens, my nostrils widening slightly as I listen to my own heart beat pounding in my ears. “Be careful about what you’re going to ask me next, Willow,” I warn, my gaze trailing down to her parted lips. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”
Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips, tempting me. “What if I do?”
“There’s nothing that happens without consequence,” I say, my voice thick with the lust I’m struggling to keep under control. “If I answer your question, there’s no going back.”
The intensity of her gaze burns down to my core. “Good.” She pauses, her throat bobbing as she swallows hard. “What did you always tell yourself you’d never do?”
She did it. She asked the one question that has the power to change our friendship forever. I’m tired of holding back. I brush my fingers along the side of her face, trailing them down along her jawline. “This,” I murmur, my eyes flicking to hers, searching for approval.
A ragged breath escapes her parted lips as she leans into my palm. I flatten it against the side of her jaw, my fingers pushing into her hair, her eyes falling closed. Twisting my torso to face her more, I lower my face to hers, stopping just a fraction of an inch from her mouth. I pause, my chest rising and falling in rapid succession as my gaze locks on hers.
Her eyebrows lift. “What?” she asks breathlessly, her breath fanning across my face.
“This,” I breathe, lowering my mouth to hers. Willow inhales sharply just as my lips graze hers. They’re soft and warm, just as I always imagined they would be. After a moment passes, her brain seems to catch up to what I’m doing. Her lips move against mine, hands reaching for me, grabbing at my shirt, pulling me closer.
Our mouths move together, melting into one another and then her lips part. Her tongue slips between mine, deepening the kiss as our tongues tangle. My fingers plunge through her hair, gripping the back of her head as my other reaches for her hips, pulling her toward me.
Willow slips her hands around the back of my neck, lifting up onto her knees. My hand slides from her hip to her knee and I guide her onto my lap. As soon as she settles on top of me and her body presses into mine, I know that I’m absolutely fucked.
She’s everywhere—seeping into my brain and burrowing under my skin.
Her mouth moves with mine, kissing me with a tenderness that has my fingers digging into her flesh, holding her tight. Breathing her in, I savor the way she feels, her vanilla and jasmine scent flooding my senses. Hell, I’ve already catalogued every piece of Willow Alder in my brain, but this is an experience I’ve never lived before now.
