She giggled and squirmed closer to him. When the last bite had been consumed, she climbed from the bed and said, “I have to brush my teeth!” While she was in the bathroom, he pulled on his boxers and took the empty plate into the kitchen and rinsed it off. It was only a little after two in the morning, but he looked outthe window at the darkness, glad there were outdoor monitors if needed.
A moment later, she appeared. She walked directly into his arms, leaned her head back, and said, “Want to come back to bed?”
Grinning, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back, this time with more grace than the first attempt hours earlier. He laid her gently on the bed and feasted on her before they fell asleep, legs and arms tangled once more.
The next time he awoke, a faint glow of light peeked through the slit in the curtains. Willow was still sleeping, so instead of jumping out of bed and starting the day, he lay still, enjoying the feel of her in his arms, the whisper of her breath on his chest, and the way he felt complete. Whole. A protector… and strangely, protected.
He didn’t understand how, in less than a week, he’d grown to care for this woman. But he wasn’t going to pretend it hadn’t happened. She deserved more than that, and for once, he wanted to be selfish and not deny himself the joy of being with her.
As Willow awakened, she stretched her lithe body. His cock was ready to go again, but he tamped down it’s enthusiasm, not wanting to overwhelm her. He saw the moment recognition and remembrance widened her eyes as they landed on him, and a smile spread across her face. They stared, wordless, for a moment.
“Regrets?” she asked, her voice still sleep-rough.
He shook his head slowly. “Not one. You?”
She smiled wider. “No. Not one.”
After a moment, her eyes dropped, and her smile lessened. He wanted nothing more than to keep both on him. He lifted her chin with a knuckle. “What are you thinking?”
She hesitated, and he pressed. “Honesty? Please.”
Nodding, she sighed. “I said I wanted anything you were willing to give me, but the reality is that I want everything.” As though she’d said the wrong thing, she rushed, “It’s okay. I’m not trying to turn into a five-alarm clinger. It’s just that…”
Her voice faded away, and he hated that she felt uncertain.
“Willow,” he called softly.
Her gaze jumped to his.
“I came here to assess security and make sure it was installed. I came here to accompany you to LA. I tried to hold on to just that, thinking that any longing between us was just on my part. But, after last night, you’re now part of my life if you want to be. I don’t know how that will look with your life here and mine in Montana, but I’m willing to see if there’s more to us than friendship and great sex.”
She leaned closer and kissed him. Their kiss deepened with the promise of morning intimacy, but the rumble of Casper's stomach made them both laugh against each other's lips.
"Food first," Willow said, pressing one more soft kiss to his mouth. "Then we can celebrate our new understanding."
An hour later, they sat at her kitchen table sharing scrambled eggs, toast, and strong coffee. Their conversation flowed with the easy intimacy of lovers who had crossed an invisible threshold. Casper had pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, while Willow wore soft yoga pants and a sweater that may have hidden her soft curves but still made it difficult for him to concentrate on breakfast.
"So what's the plan for today?" she asked, curling her hands around her oversized coffee mug. "Do we pretend to work while stealing glances at each other, or do we abandon all pretense of productivity?"
"I vote for abandoning pretense," he said, reaching across to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Though I should probably check in with Logan about?—"
Willow's phone chimed with a notification, interrupting his thought. She glanced at the screen and smiled. "Package notice from the post office in town. Probably from Aaliyah or maybe my editor."
"We'll go together," Casper said automatically, his protective instincts never fully at rest.
Twenty minutes later, they were driving into town, hands linked across the center console of her SUV. The package pickup was routine, but he insisted on opening it immediately. The contents were a manuscript review from her editor with notes attached.
"See?" Willow laughed as they walked back to the car. "Sometimes a package is just a package. Now I'm paranoid about everything."
"They might be just packages," Casper replied, opening her door for her. "But staying alert isn't paranoia. It's smart. We keep our guard up until we know for certain."
The drive home was peaceful, filled with comfortable conversation about Willow's upcoming trip to Kansas City. But as they neared her long gravel driveway, Casper’s body went rigid as he hit the brakes hard.
A large package sat at the edge of the road, positioned just outside the range of their newly installed security cameras. There was no way the placement was coincidental. The box was completely covered in black roses, their dark petals creating an ominous contrast against the brown cardboard, making his blood run cold.
"Stay in the car," he ordered, his voice sharp with command as he reached for his phone. "Do not get out."
He could feel Willow's eyes on him as he approached the package with the careful precision that had kept him alive through multiple deployments. His call to Logan was briefand tense. Someone had maneuvered just outside the security perimeter he'd worked so hard to establish.
