Page 42 of Reply All
Whatever happens in the next twenty-four hours will finally determine who they are to each other. He’s sure of it.
15
REVISITING CERTAIN DISCUSSIONS CAN BE A GOOD THING
Ginger, it turns out, barely even notices Will’s presence, choosing instead to glare as I come in, silently giving me shit for neglecting her dinner time and leading me into the kitchen.
My place isn’t “company ready” by any means. There are clothes strewn about everywhere, my bathroom counter is covered in a layer of cosmetics, skincare, and hair clips, in an uncharacteristic move, my Murphy bed is down and unmade, and the only other piece of furniture I have, Ginger’s chair, is covered in orange and white cat hair.
But I don’t care. Because I know somehow that Will doesn’t care either. By the look on his face—a little less frenzied now, a little more fascinated—he’s just happy to be here. From the corner of my eye, I watch him examine my place as I feed my little monster, who finally stops for one second to stare at our guest suspiciously as I pour her food into her bowl.
“Relax,” I whisper to her after she jumps up onto my small kitchen counter. “He’s not going to kill us and he’s not here to take your tuna and whitefish pâté.” She practically rolls her eyes before proceeding to attack her food.
“Were you just talking to your cat?” he asks. His smile is fond as he stands by the window. The neon lights from the restaurants outside cast a red glow on his face that remind me of the deep flush he sported just a minute ago. Just when he had me pressed against my apartment door.
“Duh. It’s not like that’s weird or anything,” I say defensively. I prepare myself for the ultimate red flag: he doesn’t like cats.
But I should’ve known better, because Will laughs softly, walking over to me before placing his hands on my hips and says, “Nah. It’s cute.” He looks over my shoulder at her. “And cats are awesome. Are you gonna introduce me?”
“Mmm, she’s pretty busy at the moment.”
With a wistful smile, Will shakes his head. “Alright then. I’ll try not to take it personal.” He brushes a strand of loose hair behind my ear, following its movements as if it were the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. “You’re so goddamn beautiful, you know that? I thought so the second my screen filled with your face. Even before then, I think, when I didn’t even know what you looked like.”
I snort. “You’re just saying that.”
Looking alarmed, his hand drops to his side. “No, I’m not.”
“It’s okay if you didn’t find me attractive, Will,” I say, trying to play it off as if it didn’t gut me when he pulled back from his flirty texts. “It was kinda obvious you weren’t into me.”
“What? Are you insane? What the hell makes you think that?” Genuine shock spreads across his face. And I’m just as baffled by his reaction, honestly.
I lean back to stare him straight in the eye. “Are you kidding? You stopped being all flirty the second we saw each other for the first time on camera.”
“Because it was the day after we sexted, and you had ghosted me! I’m not gonna be the dick who pushes themselves on someone after they were asked to back down. You said you wanted to keep things friendly and weren’t interested in pursuing anything sexual or beyond.”
Fuck.
“I did say that.”
And now that he brings it up, it means we obviously need to reevaluate our agreement from a few weeks ago. Or stick to the plan, stick to just being friends, because it feels like Will is the only person I can depend on lately and, based on personal history, my romantic relationships never seem to last. It’s too much of a risk. I should nip this thing in the bud right now, before things get too serious. Before we jump into bed and… But I don’t want to stop and think about it. I don’t want to think of the consequences of my actions. I’ve been waiting for this moment and now we’re finallyhereandhe’shere and?—
“I’d like to revisit this discussion, if that’s possible,” he says, his voice several octaves deeper, eyes dark and hungry. He pulls me closer to him, my breasts pressed up against his chest. I slide my hands up his arms, over his corded biceps, to his shoulders. His coat is long forgotten, hanging on the hook by the front door, mine tossed haphazardly onto the kitchen counter.
“Sure,” I murmur against his lips, eyes closed as I dig my fingers into his hair. “Maybe later, though.”
With a groan, he presses his lips to mine, his kiss destructive to my soul, because I’ve never felt anything quite like this. He bends to carry me in his arms, holding on to my ass when I wrap my legs around his waist, thighs exposed as the skirt of my dress rides up to my waist. The slight bounce as I settle in this position ends in a delicious friction where I’m already so wet and ready. I can feel my thin lace and cotton panties soaked through from before, and now I just want themoff. My whole body cries out for him to do it again, to feel the ridge of his hard cock hit my clit over our clothes so I can feel that release I crave more than oxygen. He tenses, sensing exactly what I need because that’s him. That’s Will. My confidant, the only person who trulyknowsme. But I want him to know me everywhere and I want to know him too. Bouncing me once more in his arms, he does it again, his hardness hitting me right where I need him most. This time, I don’t hold back the way I moan his name into his neck, begging him for more.
“Fuck, Bridget.Fuck.” We turn and he walks me over to the bed. Thankfully, my apartment is practically closet-sized, making it a bearably short trip. With gritted teeth, he tosses me onto the mattress where I fall with a bounce. In the back of my mind, I thank my lucky stars I forgot to put the Murphy bed away.
The mattress squeaks below me, but I barely notice, too focused instead on the way Will’s dark eyes lock on mine when he removes my high heeled boots, throwing each one over his shoulders. I can’t think of anything else as his hands travel up my thighs, parting them and lifting my skirt up once more as he does. When he reaches my underwear, he runs his index and middle finger over the fabric up and down, before moving it to the side. “You’re so fucking wet for me, Bridge. And you have such a pretty pussy, don’t you?”
I squeeze my eyes shut and nod my head desperately, biting down on my lip for fear of screaming out in desperation. Will sits up and pulls my underwear off, before throwing them over his shoulder as well; then, he settles back between my legs, as comfortable there as if it were his second home. His fingers tease my clit. Circle it in a slow, torturous rhythm. Feeling the wetness there, sending shivers up my spine despite feeling completely engulfed in flames. It doesn’t make sense, how I feel. Everything is in disarray yet in perfect order. I can barely understand anything, yet it all makes perfect sense. I feel so alone, yet am surrounded by his arms around my hips, his scent in my apartment, and his growls as he kisses around my pussy before finally putting me out of my misery and running his tongue over me in one, perfect, slow lick.
My back arches off the mattress, and I cry out Will’s name, pleading for more than just that one touch, more than just the way he holds me open.I want you to hold me tighter. To lick me longer. I want your fingers inside as you taste me.
And I guess I’ve said it all out loud because his grip tightens like a snake around my thighs and hips, a hand pressing down on my abdomen to keep me still. His mouth comes down on my clit with a moan, where Will makes himself comfortable. Finally, the fingers of his free hand join his tongue in completely overwhelming me, giving me something to tighten around as little bursts of a precursor to an orgasm start coursing through me.
He eats me like a starved man, while savoring me like I’m his last meal.
