Crash by Vanessa Waltz Page B

me.
    He bowed his head, still smiling. All of his heat surrounded me; I felt his lips claiming mine, my mouth open in shock. The gentle heat I felt in my heart amped to a blazing forest fire. His hard body was against mine, his hands almost lifting me up. I actually dug my fingers into his wild hair and loved how soft it was. His kisses were filled with gunpowder; they were nothing like the sweet pecks Ben always gave me. I leaned into him and bit his bottom lip.
    Somehow, we stumbled back against the fence. Will’s mouth weakened me over and over, and then he was planting searing hot kisses under my jaw and down my throat. I moaned as his hands swept around my waist and moved up my abdomen. Then he seemed to become aware of where we were and he pulled away. Not completely, just enough to make me really disappointed.
    My nerves and skin were tingling all over, oversensitive. When Will’s fingers grazed my neck, I seized as if I was in pain.
    That was amazing.
    I wanted to kiss him again, but Will winked at me and stepped back.
    “C’mon.”
    A bit of awkwardness followed that intense make-out session. How were we supposed to behave after that? Will didn’t make any attempt to touch me again, but when he looked at me, it was in a completely different way than before. He gave me a secretive smile that made me confused and hot all over. I didn’t understand it. It was like being a kid again, discovering a new crush.
    We walked to Upper Slaughter and back in silence, appreciating the old-world, gorgeous scenery. What a charming little village.
    As we returned to the car, my purse buzzed. It startled me so much that it broke me out of my peaceful mood. I dug inside and found it, my heart sinking. It was Ben. Why was he calling me?
    “Who is it?” Will asked.
    When I blushed in answer, he stepped closer to me and tried to read the screen. I answered the phone, ignoring him. “H—hello?”
    “Hey, Natalie.”
    I gulped at the sound of his voice and tried to turn away from Will, who seemed keen on listening in. “Uh—this is a surprise.”
    He cut right to the chase. “I saw pictures of you at the airport with a guy. Then I called your parents and they told me you have a new boyfriend. What the hell, Natalie? Is this what you meant by ‘maybe’?”
    Well, fuck. I wasn’t aware that there were photos of us. “He’s not really my—hey!”
    William snatched the phone out of my hands and pressed it against his face. I tried grabbing it back, but he was too tall. His expressive face was animated with energy, like a hound that caught scent of a rabbit. He sneered into my phone.
    “Why don’t you leave her alone, you pathetic loser.”
    Ben’s reply was so loud that I could hear it. “Who the fuck is this?”
    “I’m William Pardini, who the fuck are you?”
    “I’m her fiancé!”
    His low voice chuckled into the phone. “Yeah, well, I don’t see a ring on her finger. She’s with me now. I suggest you take a hint and move on.”
    “I’ll kick your fucking ass!”
    Will bent his head back in mirth; his eyes glittered with savage triumph. “Oh, please try me. I beg you.”
    I leaped for my phone again and wrenched it from his hands. “Ben—Ben, it’s not true.”
    But there was nothing but dead silence on the other end. I looked at William, fury shaking all of my limbs. He was smiling as if he did me a favor.
    “Why the hell did you do that?” I yelled, completely shattering the quiet, peaceful environment.
    Several passersby looked at me in alarm, but I didn’t give a shit. William was still laughing. I grabbed the scruff of his collar and couldn’t decide whether I wanted to shove or punch him.
    He ruined any and all chance of ever reconciling with Ben forever. I never wanted that. I certainly never wanted someone to make that choice for me.
    “What did I do?” he said, shrugging. “You two were on your way out anyway.”
    I released his collar. “You do not get to make that decision for me!