Fuck.
If he stood any chance of having the difficult conversation she was long overdue, he was going to need a cold shower first. Or an Arctic plunge.
He extricated himself from the tangle of her limbs, taking care not to disturb her sleep as he slipped out of bed and moved silently into the bathroom. He ran a quick shower then got dressed and finished cleaning up at the sink, using one of the fresh toothbrushes Leni had brought along with some other toiletries and the changes of clothing she’d given them.
Willow was still asleep when he came out a few minutes later. Razor frowned, loathe to wake her even though what he needed to say shouldn’t wait.
He wasn’t looking for excuses but the idea of hurting her, especially after last night, made his mouth taste like ashes as he stood next to the bed and watched her resting so contentedly.
As a Hunter, he’d never considered himself a coward but standing there now he could hardly deny it. The last thing he wanted to do was give Willow any reason to doubt him, yet he knew every minute he delayed was only going to erode her trust even further.
He took a seat on the edge of the mattress and tenderly swept some of her silky dark hair from where it curled against her cheek. She stirred like a kitten at his light touch. The soft moan that escaped her slightly parted lips sent an arrow of heat straight to his cock.
He was just about to wake her when the sound of the farmhouse’s back door being thrown open sounded from downstairs. A child’s voice followed. “Aunt Leni, we’re here!”
Instead of the gentle awakening Razor had intended for Willow, her eyes popped open with a start at the sudden ruckus in the kitchen below.
“It’s okay,” he told her as she levered up onto her elbow in alarm. “Leni’s sister and her son were due to come here this morning with a laptop for me to use for the flash drive. Apparently, they’ve arrived.”
Down in the kitchen, more voices joined Leni’s nephew’s, his mother hushing him because it was early and people could still be asleep, then still more chatter as Leni welcomed her family inside.
“What time is it?” Willow asked.
Razor stroked her cheek. “Just after nine.”
“I should get up.” She gave him a sheepish look. “I never sleep this late.”
He smirked. “Neither do I. I’m sorry if last night was too much.”
“Last night was amazing,” she said, her mouth curving in a sexy, unrepentant smile. “Too bad we had to stop for sleep.”
He groaned. “Keep looking at me like that and I’ll be tempted to start all over again.”
Biting her lower lip, she laughed and shook her head. “With everyone right downstairs in the kitchen? Forget it.”
“I can be quiet. Stealth is one of my specialties.”
She lifted a brow. “I’m not sure I can be quiet if I let you back into this bed with me. Besides, you’ve got the advantage over me. You’re all showered and clean, while I’m—”
He leaned in and silenced her with a kiss that started on her mouth and ended with one of her rosy nipples caught between his teeth. “Delicious,” he finished for her. “Every sweet inch of you.”
She ran her hands through his damp hair, her gaze searching his. “Last night really happened, didn’t it?”
He nodded. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. She was so beautiful it made his chest ache. The way she looked at him, as if he were the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen, made him yearn to be everything she saw in him. He wanted to be more than that to her. Deep down in his bones, in his marrow, he wanted to be all that she deserved.
Which couldn’t happen unless he was completely honest with her.
“Willow, I—”
The sudden, rapid thump of small feet on the steps leading up to the attic yanked his attention back to full alert. Razor vaulted to his feet even as he mentally locked and held the door closed in case the inquisitive seven-year-old coming up the stairs thought to barge in.
Willow let out a small gasp behind him as she pulled the quilt up over her naked body.
“Riley, where are you?” A female voice Razor didn’t recognize rang out from the kitchen. “I better not find you going up to the attic.”
The footsteps halted at once. “But Uncle Knox said—”
“Downstairs, young man. Now.”
