to Riley chat about books as Bingley roamed the apartment. The fact that she didn’t want to do it again stung his ego. “Don’t tell me that you’d rather be getting ready for your date with whats-his-name?”
“It’s Calvin, and no, of course that’s not what I meant. It’s just that you’re only back for such a short period of time—the last thing I want to do is shop. I’d much rather us have a picnic at a park or go on a hike. Speaking of which, I’ve found a great new place we can go to. And it has a waterfall.”
“Good point. Waterfall trumps shoe shopping every time,” Will said, his harmony restored. “What if we go next week once the wedding is over and done with?”
“Perfect.” Riley put down her beer and flexed her shoulders, like she often did after sitting in one spot reading for too long. “It’ll be nice to just relax and forget about everything.”
“I agree,” Will said. Automatically, he put his arm around the back of her neck. His plan had been to swivel her around so that he could gently knead the knots out of her shoulders, just like he’d done a hundred times before. He hadn’t counted on the bolt of electricity that ran along his arm as his fingers swept across her soft skin.
His mistake was further compounded when Riley let out a soft gasp that did sinister things to his libido. Before he could stop himself he leaned forward, his arm still around her back. They were so close now that Will could see the erratic rise and fall of her chest. She turned to him and pushed her glasses back into her tangle of red hair, her brown eyes wide like a puppy’s. Desire coursed through him but he paused, racked by indecision.
It still stung that kissing her had reduced him to a quivering mess and that for her it was only just so-so. Then again, according to Tucker, who was now an authority on love and romance, Riley had been enjoying herself. If that really was the case what would happen if they kissed again? Would she really hate it as much as she had implied?
Her breathing increased and Will’s indecision fled the scene as his eyes locked in on hers.
“Will, I—” she said in a throaty gasp, but before she could complete the sentence his cell phone rang. He ignored it, his face never leaving Riley’s. Whoever it was, they could wait, but as his ringtone played out again, Riley’s face flinched and she wrinkled her nose.
“What if it’s important?”
“It’s not,” he assured her, but after it rang out for a third time and them started again, he snatched it up, his body a sea of frustration. “What?”
“Will, don’t be mad that I’m calling you, but we really need to speak,” Lisa said from down the other end. His whole body stiffened like the time he’d been stung by a nest of ants. It wasn’t the first time she’d contacted him since she’d married his father. In fact, every few months he could expect to get a message or an email from her. Sometimes they were lighthearted and sometimes they were angry, but in each one the intention was clear. She wanted to play him off against his father because she liked the idea of two men fighting over her.
“How did you get this number?” He ground his teeth.
“That’s not important,” Lisa said in the same dismissive way she did for anything that didn’t suit her agenda. “I just need to speak to you about Saturday. Will, I still feel terrible about what happened, and I know that you’re just bringing your friend to save face—”
“Oh, is that what you know?” He stood up from the sofa, as wave after wave of emotions raced through him. “Well, let’s be clear about one thing. What I do and who I do it with is none of your concern. Understood?”
Then without another word he finished the call.
There was complete silence, apart from Bingley, who was foraging through the carpet for goodness knows what. Will took a deep breath and tried to control the blood that was pounding in his temples.
He hated that
“It’s Calvin, and no, of course that’s not what I meant. It’s just that you’re only back for such a short period of time—the last thing I want to do is shop. I’d much rather us have a picnic at a park or go on a hike. Speaking of which, I’ve found a great new place we can go to. And it has a waterfall.”
“Good point. Waterfall trumps shoe shopping every time,” Will said, his harmony restored. “What if we go next week once the wedding is over and done with?”
“Perfect.” Riley put down her beer and flexed her shoulders, like she often did after sitting in one spot reading for too long. “It’ll be nice to just relax and forget about everything.”
“I agree,” Will said. Automatically, he put his arm around the back of her neck. His plan had been to swivel her around so that he could gently knead the knots out of her shoulders, just like he’d done a hundred times before. He hadn’t counted on the bolt of electricity that ran along his arm as his fingers swept across her soft skin.
His mistake was further compounded when Riley let out a soft gasp that did sinister things to his libido. Before he could stop himself he leaned forward, his arm still around her back. They were so close now that Will could see the erratic rise and fall of her chest. She turned to him and pushed her glasses back into her tangle of red hair, her brown eyes wide like a puppy’s. Desire coursed through him but he paused, racked by indecision.
It still stung that kissing her had reduced him to a quivering mess and that for her it was only just so-so. Then again, according to Tucker, who was now an authority on love and romance, Riley had been enjoying herself. If that really was the case what would happen if they kissed again? Would she really hate it as much as she had implied?
Her breathing increased and Will’s indecision fled the scene as his eyes locked in on hers.
“Will, I—” she said in a throaty gasp, but before she could complete the sentence his cell phone rang. He ignored it, his face never leaving Riley’s. Whoever it was, they could wait, but as his ringtone played out again, Riley’s face flinched and she wrinkled her nose.
“What if it’s important?”
“It’s not,” he assured her, but after it rang out for a third time and them started again, he snatched it up, his body a sea of frustration. “What?”
“Will, don’t be mad that I’m calling you, but we really need to speak,” Lisa said from down the other end. His whole body stiffened like the time he’d been stung by a nest of ants. It wasn’t the first time she’d contacted him since she’d married his father. In fact, every few months he could expect to get a message or an email from her. Sometimes they were lighthearted and sometimes they were angry, but in each one the intention was clear. She wanted to play him off against his father because she liked the idea of two men fighting over her.
“How did you get this number?” He ground his teeth.
“That’s not important,” Lisa said in the same dismissive way she did for anything that didn’t suit her agenda. “I just need to speak to you about Saturday. Will, I still feel terrible about what happened, and I know that you’re just bringing your friend to save face—”
“Oh, is that what you know?” He stood up from the sofa, as wave after wave of emotions raced through him. “Well, let’s be clear about one thing. What I do and who I do it with is none of your concern. Understood?”
Then without another word he finished the call.
There was complete silence, apart from Bingley, who was foraging through the carpet for goodness knows what. Will took a deep breath and tried to control the blood that was pounding in his temples.
He hated that
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