Page 92 of If You Need Me

I snake a hand around her waist and tug her back into the cabin. “We’ll be out in a few.”

I pull the door closed, and she spins around. “Shilpa’s here.”

“Yeah. Most of our friends made it, except for Dred. She had to work, but she sends her love. Rix’s best friend Essie is here to do your make up if you want.”

“Essie’s here? She didn’t come from Vancouver for this, did she?”

“I think she’s looking for apartments because she’s transferring back to Toronto.” She’s a makeup artist and has been living on the west coast.

“Right. That makes sense.” Wills nods. “Who set this up?”

“My mom tossed around the idea of a party later in the summer, but your schedule is hectic, especially in August when you’re setting up fall promo. And you’ve been taking on moreprojects with the women’s team.” I run my hands down her arms. “I knew the reunion would be hard for you, and I thought it would be good to end the weekend with the people who have your back and adore you the way I do.”

Wills blinks up at me.

I’m pretty proficient at reading her moods, thanks to all the time I’ve spent obsessing over her, but I can’t decipher her expression. “Did I get it wrong? Is having your Babe Brigade here the wrong move?” I wanted to alleviate her stress, not add to it.

She shakes her head and presses her manicured fingers to her lips.

“Are you upset? Tell me what’s happening in your head.” I settle my hands on her shoulders.

“I’m not upset. I just… I have a lot of feelings, and they’re big,” she whispers.

“I can handle big feelings. I want all of them.” I make a come-on motion. I want to prove I’m the one she should trust, that I’ll keep her heart safe. “Lay them on me.”

She laughs, but drags her watery eyes to the ceiling. She props her hands on her hips.

“Seriously, I mean it. Bring on the feelings. I’ll take everything you’ve got. Even the ones that bite me.”

She blows out a breath. “I do not want to cry right now.”

I wrap my arms around her and pull her against me. She fits so perfectly, all her soft curves melding with my hard lines. “You can cry on me. I don’t care what kind of tears they are. They can be happy tears, overwhelmed ones, time-of-the-month tears, really-great-orgasm tears, or tears because your boyfriend invited all our friends to celebrate our fake engagement and you don’t know what to do with all the feelings you have.”

“Oh my God, you’re ridiculous.” She loops her arms behind my neck. “Thank you for inviting all of our friends. Fake engagement or not, it’s exactly what I need.”

“Good. I’m glad I got it right.” I press my lips to the top ofher head. “I want you to feel supported. I’m sorry this weekend was hard for you, and I’m sorry it took me until last night to be honest about what happened.”

Willy leans back and looks up at me, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m sorry I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.”

I shake my head and stroke her cheek. “Don’t apologize. We have a long history, but hopefully a future too.”

She fingers the hair at the nape of my neck. One tiny tug, and I bend to her lips. It’s a soft kiss, filled with years of apology.

My hands have a mind of their own and slide down her back to cup her ass.

Wills pulls back, eyebrows pinched. “Wait a second.”

I arch one in question.

“There are yurts outside.”

“Yeah.” They almost showed up before we went to the reunion, but Ashish held them back until we’d vacated the premises.

“How long have our friends been here?”

“They started arriving after we left for the reunion,” I say.

“So they were here when we got back last night?”

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