But it all went away so fast. Then I had to go feed Julian, and by the time I was done, there wasn’t a trace of panic or worry left in his gaze. I didn’t dare ask him whose name had shown up on his phone. Like I said, I don’t know what we are. The last thing I want to do is start acting overbearing or nosy when we haven’t even defined our relationship yet.
Will’s lips touch my forehead. “How are you feeling tonight?” he whispers against my ear. His hot breath lights up my senses. Minutes before, I was exhausted, but now, feeling him so close to my sensitive spots is enough to get me wired.
“Like I want to kiss you.” I push the phone call incident to the back of my mind. He’s here, now. That’s what matters, right?
Plus, I can’t get my mind and body to think of anything except his intoxicating presence.
Will’s dark eyes peer down at me with tenderness. “Are you sure? You seem … tense.”
Huh. I take a moment to survey my own body and find out he’s right. I’m holding a bunch of tension in my shoulders and jaw.
I lean forward to grab my mug of tea and take a sip. I’ve got a few suspects for why I’m feeling this way. “I do want to kiss you.” But I know I’m going to get worked up. Will’s mouth does exactly what I crave for it to do. And his hands know exactly where to go on my body, cupping and stroking and pinching in all the right places. “But …” I trail off. How do I begin to explain?
I want to take things further. No—I crave it. Need it. The accumulation of gentle touches over the last few weeks has me on the edge of crumbling apart. Will doesn’t know that I’ve ended every evening relieving this pressure alone under my duvet, secretly wishing it was his hand touching me instead of my own. He doesn’t know I’ve been silently moaning his name into my pillow while he sleeps on the couch.
But it’s not that simple. First off, Julian is in the middle of a sleep regression. Just perfect timing. He’s been waking up every thirty minutes these past few weeks, usually until it’s at least midnight. And by the time Julian has been asleep long enough for me to be emotionally and physically ready to switch gears, I’m ready to collapse from exhaustion.
Second, it has been over ten years since I’ve been with someone other than Matt. Back then, I was in my prime. I could practically get any man I wanted. I was confident in what I wanted, and I went for it.
But now, imagining Will seeing all of me—absolutely all of me—fills me with dread.
Although I have to admit, the idea of seeing all ofhimis almost delicious enough to completely wave my worries away.
Will doesn’t wait for me to finish my sentence. Instead, he gestures for me to rotate. I obey, leaving my back facing him.
“Drop your robe from your shoulders,” he whispers. His light stubble tickles my neck as he plants a few soft kisses there.
“Will,” I begin, my voice already filled with objections. I can’t do this again. It’s torture. Sweet, delicious torture.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he interrupts. His hands settle on the top of my shoulders, which are still covered by my fluffy robe. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. But let me ease some of that tension.” His fingers slowly begin to massage the tight muscles where my shoulders and neck meet; an involuntary moan escapes my lips at the sudden relief it brings me.
I close my eyes and revel in the sensation. “May I?” Will’s hands give the collar of my robe a light tug. I nod quickly without opening my eyes or my lips, and Will doesn’t waste a moment. Slowly, his hands move down toward my collarbone, leaving a trail of warmth against my skin. He grabs the sides of my robe and begins to pull it down from my shoulders. The chill hits my bare skin now that my shoulders and upper back are exposed, but Will’s hands return to touch me again, making it all worth it.
His fingers expertly knead at every spot holding tension. My head falls forward, almost involuntarily. Making the most of my motion, Will gently pushes my hair away to the front.
“How are you so good at this?” I ask, my voice slightly hoarse. Every contact of his fingers against my skin radiates sparks throughout the rest of me.
“For one,” he begins, “you desperately need it. So, I wouldn’t need to be particularly good for you to get something out of this.” His soft chuckle reverberates through me. “And two, I’ve spent the past few weeks studying.”
“Studying what?”
“Studying you.” I shiver when he presses his lips in a soft kiss at the nape of my neck. “What you like. What your body responds to. What you need.”
Fuck, this man.
“You pour so much of yourself into your family. Into your work. But at the end of the day …” He leans forward again, his lips against my ear. “Who takes care of you?”
“Hmm.” I’m starting to melt against his chest, and the heat that’s pooling between my thighs is almost unbearable. I’m about to burst into flames.
“That’s all I want, Sophie. I want to be the one who takes care of you. Who gives you what you need. And I don’t want you to feel pressured, not even for one second, to have to somehow give back. Because just being here …” He strokes the top of my shoulders in a feather-light touch. “Getting to touch you like this … You’re giving me more than I ever dared hope for.”
God, I want to turn around and kiss him, already. I want his hands to dare and explore every single part of me. But when I open my eyes, I see the phone in my peripheral vision that’s lying on the table, which shows me it’s 8:30 p.m. Anytime now, Julian will start crying for his evening snack.
Will’s hands stop moving. “You’re tensing back up. Did I say something wrong?”
“No.” I take a deep breath and crane my neck to look at him. God, he’s beautiful. “You’re saying and doing everything right. I just can’t help being on edge because I know this moment is about to end.”
“It’s okay,” he whispers, beginning to deftly massage my skin again. “It’s happening now. Let yourself enjoy it. You’ve earned this.”
