Page 15 of Playing with Fire

“It helps to be related to the owner,” Beckett explained. Pushing open the door, he led Willa inside and over to the line of barrels standing in the center of the room and glass growlers on shelves. For a minute, he attempted to explain why Felix aged the cider in them instead of something else before he gave up the ruse and pulled her into the darkened corner. “I actually don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. I just needed to kiss you and didn’t want to do that in a room full of people.” His eyes darted to her lips before he leaned down, pausing when he was halfway to her mouth. “How do you feel about that?”

Willa gulped as her eyes met his, the light green glowing brightly in the low light of the storage room. “I feel pretty damn good about it.” She licked her bottom lip. Beckett practically groaned as he watched her tongue trace along the delicate skin.“In fact, right now I’m wondering what’s taking you so long to make your move.”

With one swift slide of her hand onto the back of Beckett’s neck, Willa pulled him down to her. Her assured movements surprised him, but at the first taste of tart apple from the cider that lingered in her mouth, his shock faded and he got with the program. His hands moved to her hips, loving the feel of her strong yet delicately slender frame under his fingers as he pulled it toward his. When Willa licked his upper lip, Beckett slid his tongue into her mouth, tasting the real her for the first time. She was sweet with just the slightest lingering bit of spice, ginger maybe. He took in her flavors.

Beckett’s back hit the wall with a thud as Willa pressed herself up against him, undoubtedly feeling just how hard he was for her already. He groaned into her mouth, loving her forcefulness. He would give her everything he could to keep this momentum going. When his hands slid closer to her ass, Willa pulled back suddenly, her chest rising and falling with quick breaths.

“Too much?” Beckett’s hands started to move away, but Willa placed hers on top and slid them back, a few strands of gold falling into her eyes as she shook her head.

Beckett marveled at Willa’s beauty, noting that her pupils widened and her cheeks reddened. The sight puffed his chest out with pride. “Not too much.” She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, “I want more.” When Willa leaned back, Beckett saw a look of pure, unadulterated lust on her face and his already rock-hard cock knocked against the denim of his jeans, straining to break free. “Take me back to your place?”

Beckett smirked as he leaned closer, never wanting to be further away from her again unless he absolutely had to. “I would ask if you’re sure, but you look like a woman who knows her own mind.”

Willa watched as Beckett adjusted himself as discreetly as possible, smiling slyly at him. “Smart man.” She laced their fingers together and tugged on his arm. “Shall we?”

Nodding, Beckett took her hand and pulled her back through the door to the restaurant. Slapping some cash on the table, he gathered the light wrap Willa had brought and held it up to her, smiling when she turned around and let him slip it over her shoulders. After a nod to Felix and a wave to Lottie from Willa, they practically sprinted from Branch and Brew like there were hungry bears snapping at their feet. As Beckett drove them to his place, his hunger for Willa grew exponentially. He knew it would only continue the longer he was with her.

Chapter Ten

~Willa~

The door to the apartment crashed against the wall as Willa and Beckett stumbled inside in a tangle of groping limbs, their lips sealed together as if they couldn’t bear to keep them off the others for more than the few seconds it took to gasp a breath before diving back for more. That was definitely true for Willa. The ride over had been torture, her having to watch as the muscles in Beckett’s forearm flexed, the veins in his hands popping as his hands tightened on the steering wheel and she sat in the passenger seat of his car, helpless to do anything lest she risk them getting into an accident.

Never before had Willa cursed speed limits like she did during the short drive to his place, wanting to transport from the brewery to his bedroom in seconds so she could get her hands and lips on him again. She’s also never been as direct with what she wanted or as forceful with her body as she had in that back room with Beckett, but she couldn’t help it. It was like someone lit a fire in her belly. Every wanton look, every touch of his skin against hers stoked the flames higher to the point where Willa worried she would burn up before they even got their clothes off.

Her hands twisted in Beckett’s soft hair as she wrenched her lips away, her heart and lungs trying to catch up with her runaway libido. “Bedroom?” Willa asked breathlessly. She was so filled with need that it practically spilled out of her.

Beckett’s brow pulled together for a moment as he took time to think about it. From the impressive tenting in his jeans, Willa guessed the blood in his body wasn’t exactly upstairs at the moment. “Uh, it’s...” His words diminished into nothing but a low groan when she started to palm him over the denim fabric of his pants, feeling him rock-hard beneath her caress. Willa couldn’t wait to get her hands on him without the layers ofclothing in the way, and when she gripped him a little harder, it seemed that whatever control Beckett had vaporized. “Fuck.” It’s the only word she heard before the world went topsy-turvy as she was thrown into a fireman’s carry and marched through the apartment.

Willa giggled delightfully, but it soon turned into a moan as Beckett’s hand slipped under her dress, ran up her legs and over the bare skin of her ass as he walked, his fingers leaving a trail of heat in their wake. They crossed a threshold and he kicked the door closed as Willa studied the small room.

A thick, pale gray comforter matching the color of the walls sat atop a large bed that filled most of the space. In one corner of the room, a small bookcase was pushed against the wall with a plush leather chair next to it, while a small writing desk sat opposite the bed. Black and white photos of various sports heroes hung above the bed with two nightstands standing on either side. The whole space was simple and cozy, much like the man who occupied it, but Willa wasn’t there for a cuddle under the blankets. She needed more than that.

Willa’s vision blurred for a moment as Beckett sat her back down on her feet, lightly gripping her arms as he leaned down for a brief kiss. “You still on board with what’s going to happen here?” His voice was low and rough, sending a shiver up her spine, the hairs on her neck standing at attention as his breath brushed past her.

Reaching out, Willa ran her hands up his chest, feeling nothing but hard muscle underneath the soft cotton of his t-shirt before she gripped the tops of his shoulders. “And what exactly is happening here?” She nodded her head at the sports photos and smiled wickedly as she ditched the wrap she wore around her. “You like sports. So are you going to give me a play-by-play, or are you going to just stop asking questions and show me?”

Beckett’s eyes burned into hers, the ring of fire engulfinghis whole iris as he whipped his shirt off and tossed it aside. Willa’s mind glitched as she stared open-mouthed at the expanse of silky, taut skin in front of her. It was golden and nearly hairless, giving her an unobstructed view of the rippling muscles of his torso and chest. The man had an honest-to-God six-pack, and as Willa trailed the fingers of one hand over his washboard abs, appreciating all his hard work, the others traced the ink on his arm.

Smooth, clear lines of a black and white orchard were on his left pectoral, leafy limbs from one of the trees moving up his shoulder where they twisted and morphed into vines. The vines came together to comprise a flower garden with the various blooms covering the rest of his arm down to the elbow. Willa couldn’t identify a single species of flower by name, but she found them remarkably similar to the wildflowers Beckett had brought her earlier that week. It was beautifully designed and inked, made even more gorgeous by the fact that it was on such an almost unbelievably wonderful man.

“There’s a clearing near the back of the orchard where the wildflowers grow,” Beckett explained reverently. Willa’s fingers circled over a few individual petals while she didn’t dare look up at him, lest she break the moment he seemed to be having. “It’s always been a favorite spot of mine. I would love to show you sometime.”

The gesture was sweet and probably typical of the thoughtful man in front of her, but Willa wanted to stay in the moment instead of thinking about the future. Her future was something she was still unsure about, so she let the question go unanswered. Keeping her hands on him, Willa spun Beckett around to look at the tattoos on his back, seeing more of the orchard and six names written in script on his shoulder blade. She smiled as she read the names of his brothers and parents, smoothing her finger over each one and idly wondering if shewould ever see her own name written there.

The thought gave her a start, but before she wandered down the road of trepidation, Beckett peaked at her over his shoulder, his eyes dark. “You’re awfully quiet.” His fingers lightly reached over to cover hers. “Do you like what you see so far?”

Willa dragged her gaze from his gorgeous skin and finally met his eyes with a nod. She would worry about the torrent of emotions ripping through her later. Right then all she wanted to do was feel more of him. “Oh, I more than like it.” Pulling her fingers back, she started to undo the buttons on the front of her dress as she moved back in front of Beckett. “In fact, I think I might return the favor with a little show of my own. On the bed. Pants off,” she ordered, surprised and pleased with her own moxie.

Beckett raised a brow, but complied, stripping off everything but his boxer briefs. Willa’s fingers stopped moving as she watched his body lay down on the bed, taking note of each muscle that ticked and flexed as he stretched himself out, his arms tucked underneath his head and a wicked smile on his face.

“You’re the boss,” he drawled. He looked at ease with her taking the lead, and it gave her pause.

It wasn’t something Willa was used to, but she banished any thoughts that might start to compare this time to others with a shake of her head. Beckett was different. She knew that from the moment she saw him clapping at her horrible car-dancing. Willa also knew that she was different now too. Remembering that, she slipped her feet from her heels as her fingers started moving again. As each button was undone, Willa pulled the gauzy fabric of her dress to the sides, revealing a little more skin to him.

Beckett’s eyes followed the movement before popping back up to hers. “God, you’re beautiful, Willa.” His voice was asreverent when he spoke about her as it had been when he talked about his family home.

His deference, combined with the compliment she was unused to hearing, almost threw her off her game again, but she recovered quickly, willing herself to stay in the here and now and not go back into the past where flattery was conditional and the possibilities weren’t as endless as they were now. After a deep breath, Willa undid the last button and let her dress drop to the floor to reveal her pink lace bra and thong. Lingerie was the one thing she had always allowed herself to splurge on. From Beckett’s hungry expression, she could tell he appreciated her lack of frugality in that area.

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