Page 108 of In Spades

He brushed his knuckles across my cheek. “No, ma’am.”

I popped up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. “That was everything to them,” I whispered. “And me.”

Will cocked his head to the side. “So, if I told you I have one more surprise, you won’t kill me?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Depends. Did you get rid of the hammock?”

I loved that hammock and would have a conniption if he took it down. I couldn’t wait to lounge out there tomorrow, relaxing under the trees as boats floated by.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Nope. Never. That’s our spot.”

“Then lead the way.”

Will took my hand and led me through the main floor to his bedroom. My feet ached and my back throbbed after working a half-day at the inn on top of walking a near-marathon at the fair.

I halted mid-step as we entered Will’s room.

Gone was the cold navy and gray bedding that screamed bachelor. It had been replaced by crisp white linens and burnt orange pillows. A new wooden headboard replaced the old one. An oatmeal-colored chenille throw blanket was draped across the foot of the bed.

It was warm and inviting. The perfect blend of masculine and feminine.

I floated across the room and picked up a framed photo of the two of us off the nightstand.

“Will…” I could barely muster a whisper. It felt like an out of body experience.

“I’m playing the long game, sweetheart. I know this isn’t easy. There’s a lot to consider—school districts, the commute to Beaufort. I want you here as often as you can be.”

I didn’t even know where to start. “I have so many questions…”

Will stood behind me as I stared at the photo of us. He reached around my waist and untied the arms of the flannel shirt I had looped around my hips.

I stretched my head to the side as his jaw scraped against my skin. It was a stark contrast to the warm, tender kisses he placed along my neck.

“Then ask them,” he murmured against my skin. His hands circled my waist, then slipped underneath my tank top. Sparks danced across my skin.

“I…”

His fingers dug into my hips, pulling my ass against his front. Will dropped his head and grazed the shell of my ear with his lips. He growled. “You what?”

His hands anchored me to the ground, but he didn’t make a move to take my clothes off. The anticipation was almost unbearable. The mix of anxiety and excitement overwhelmed me.

The only times I had gone all the way was when I fooled around with boys who were just as inexperienced as me. Will wasn’t a boy. He was all man.

What if I wasn’t good at it?

“I’m nervous,” I admitted quietly.

“Don’t move,” he said sternly. His heat vanished from my body, and I heard the door to the bedroom close and the lock click. His hands were back on my ribs in milliseconds. “Raise your arms,” he commanded.

And I obeyed.

Wordlessly, he curled his fingers around the hem of my tank top and pulled it over my head. He tossed it aside, then skated his hands down my arms to the waist of my jeans. He untied the flannel looped around my waist, popped the button, and pushed them down.

I turned and used his forearms for balance as I kicked them off.

Will grabbed the back of his Henley at the neck and pulled it over his head in one swift motion.

I longed to touch him. I wanted to run my fingers down the sharp grooves of muscle. The light smattering of hair that covered his pecs. The dark trail that led from his navel down, down, down?—

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