Sleep be damned. “Happily.”
She stands, walks over, and gives me a lingering kiss on the lips. I place both hands on her hips and consider undoing the sash on her robe, but she disappears too quickly down the hall.
"I'll be right there." I gather up our dishes, then take them to the counter. When I open the garbage bin to toss one of the crusts in, I see an album stuffed into the garbage. I pull it out and brush off some coffee grounds.My Dream Wedding by Arabella.
"Why would this be in the bin?" I mutter to myself, flipping through the pages. A pink unicorn? Patrick Dempsey? “Oh, that’s why.” I feel a bit guilty having an unauthorized look at Arabella’s teenage mind. I know I wouldn’t want her seeing what was going on in my head at that age. And yet, I can’t stop turning the pages. I simply have to know.
Down the hall, I hear some sexy music floating out of Arabella’s bedroom, then she calls, "I'm ready for you!"
My heart pounds in my chest as I realize what I need to do. And I’m going to have to act fast.
Chapter 11
Being Sexy, Take Two
Arabella
Well,this is embarrassing. And irritating. And rather cold, quite frankly. I’m lying on top of my bed in a small black negligee waiting for Will, who is taking anextremelylong time to make it from the kitchen to the bedroom. And I know I said I wasn’t going to try to be sexy ever again, but that wasbeforethe unmentionables I ordered online and had delivered to Nikki’s (what would I do without her?) arrived. Once I unpacked them, I decided to give sexiness a second try in the safety of my own home. Wanting to send Will off with a night to remember, I gathered all the candles in my apartment and brought them into my room, made a romantic playlist, and now I’m already on the third song (Die a Happy Manby Thomas Rhett) and…no Will.
Getting up, I put my robe back on and go in search of him. Just as I reach the hall, I see him jogging toward me and the sight of his upper body rippling as he runs reduces my irritation by at least three quarters. "Everything all right?"
“Yes, sorry. I spilled some wine on the floor and I was just cleaning it up before it stained."
That's one thing about dating the man who didn't grow up rich — he wasn't raised with the expectation that other people would clean up his messes — a very unattractive trait, indeed.
He gives me a sexy grin. "Now, you said something about getting into something less comfortable. By any chance, is it under the robe?" he asks, raising and lowering his eyebrows.
I nod, then I take both of his hands in mine and walk backwards, leading him into my bedroom.
"Wow, candles and music. Miss Langdon, are you trying to seduce me?"
Letting go of his hands, I undo the sash of my robe, then give it a small tug and let it fall to the floor. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
He devours me with his eyes and shakes his head. "I am one lucky, lucky man."
An hour later, we lay with our limbs tangled up in a most comforting way. Even though physically I am utterly happy — and I must say I'm certain he is as well — this is the part I hate because I usually end up crying. I know it sounds stupid, but when you love someone so much that it feels like they are your very reason for existing, it kills you when they have to leave. Especially when they have to go away over and over again. Not to mention the fact that you’ll spend the next however many weeks holding your breath until you're back together again because you know that whatever he’s doing, it’s death-defying.
I listen as Will’s breathing grows steady, hating that I need to make sure he doesn't fall asleep because he still has to go home and pack. I trace his gorgeous face with my fingertips, then give him a kiss on the lips. "Hey, sailor, as fun as this has been, I think it's time for you to head home."
He opens his eyes and grins at me. "Maybe we can see each other again sometime?”
"I'd be open to that." I manage to keep a straight face for all of half a second, then the two of us share a laugh followed by some very urgent, meaningful kisses that bring tears to the backs of my eyes.
Will lets out a deep sigh and presses his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. "My God, I hate this part."
I nod, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "Last time, right?" I say, running my finger over his slightly stubbly jawline, wanting to drink in the sight and feel of him because it is going to have to last me for at least a month.
Will smiles at me and nods. "Last time. After this, it'll all be onourterms. Our timeline, our locations, and best of all, when I'm back in town, we won't have to sneak out of each other's beds in the middle of the night."
“I cannot wait to wake up with you every morning," I say.
"It's going to be amazing," he says.
I nod, ordering the tears to stay put but they ignore me.
Will’s smile fades as he reaches up and wipes the moisture off the tops of my cheeks with his thumb.
"Sorry," I whisper. "I promised myself I wasn't going to be a baby this time."
