Page 63 of The Archer and his Rosebud

“We do whatever it takes to make momma’s life easier.”

ChapterTwenty

WILLA

“Wow, look at you, little turkey.”Archer laughs when he opens the door to a festive Clem and me on Thanksgiving morning. “That outfit is something.”

“Yeah, you can thank my mom for dressing my daughter up as dinner.” I adjust the skewed knit cap, centering the turkey beak. We’ll be losing this in an hour or less. “Oh my gosh, this place smells amazing.”

Stealing an impatient Clem, Archer peeks over my shoulder. “The other turkey is in the oven, and my mom’s famous southern cornbread dressing is made. Where’s your mom and Devin?”

Hand to his abs, I push my way inside and drop Clem’s diaper bag by the door. “I snuck out while my mom was getting ready, so I could do this.” I wrap a hand around his neck and pull him down as I stretch to my toes and our mouths meet.

His fingers slide up the back of my neck, burrowing in my hair. “What about Dev?” he asks, delaying our kiss.

I nip at his bottom lip with eagerness but answer his question. “Dev called us out the moment my mom left me alone with him for two minutes last night. He’s not buying our ‘just friends’ act one bit.” Archer withdraws enough to flash a little told-you-so smirk. He bet me that Devin would be able to see through our scheme right away. According to him, I can’t lie worth crap.

Falling to the flats of my shoes, I sigh at the delay of the kissing I’d planned on doing. “Just so you know, Arrow, you gave us away. He did promise to keep our secret, though. No worries.”

Archer’s smirk falls. He shifts Clem lower and runs his nose down the tip of mine. “I’m not worried, Rosebud.” His lips brush mine, too light and too quick. “I want her to know. I wanteveryoneto know we’re a thing. So, whenever you decide to spill the secret, I’m good. She can grill me all she wants. I’m not afraid of owning up to my feelings.”

My stomach flutters as it often does in his presence. “I know this makes me seem reluctant about us, but I’m not, I swear.” Wrapping my arms around him and Clem, I smile at my babbling turkey and continue, “I think it’ll be easier for her to see us together without the idea of there being a romantic relationship. My mom has this mindset that you’re way too old for me. She still looks at me like a little girl, so when she sees the way we are, I think she’ll understand this. That we’re… That our feelings are…” I fight for the right words about what this is between Archer and me. In two weeks, we’ll no longer be neighbors. Will this be over then? He says it won’t, but I have a hard time believing he won’t change his mind. That he won’t be somewhat relieved to be done with the responsibility of taking care of us daily. Out of sight, out of mind, and all that.

Three knocks interrupt us, and I jump away from Archer and Clem as Devin sings, “Happy Thanksgiving,” while barging through the door I left cracked, his arms laden with grocery bags for cooking today’s meal. “Mom needs your help with a few things in the kitchen.”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” I glance between a grinning Archer and my cocky brother. “I figured I’d bring Clem over so we’d have more hands.”

“Yup, and I’m an idiot.” Stepping around us, Dev drops the bags on Archer’s kitchen island counter and opens his arms for Clem. “Give me my niece so you two can have a moment before Mom gets here.”

Heat crawls up my neck as Archer unapologetically hands Clem over.

“Kiss your boyfriend, sis, then get over there before she gets suspicious.”

“Dev,” I hiss beneath my breath. I’ve never referred to Archer as my boyfriend. Worried, I swing a curious side-eye Archer’s way, gauging his reaction.

“Have I told you how much I like your brother?”

Devin chuckles, and Archer grabs my hand, leading me through the apartment and dragging me into the boys’ empty bedroom.

“I’ve got one minute to leave you breathless.” Archer steers me back until I hit the wall. “And to cop a feel.”

I barely register his intentions before his tongue sweeps inside my mouth, and he palms my breast, squeezing with the expertise of a horny middle schooler.

I grab his arm, pulling it away, choking on my laughter. “Archer.”

“Oh, sorry.” His fingers return to my sweater’s hem, the heat of his skin igniting another round of goosebumps. “I wasn’t sure if I should stay over the top or if you would allow me under the sweater but not beneath the bra.” He wags his eyebrows with a smirk. “I’ll get better at this.”

“Boy, I do hope so. I just had a flashback of William Thayer trying to feel me up beneath the bleachers during eighth-grade gym”

Pressing his weight into mine, I fear I’ll sink into the wall. Archer lowers his head until we’re nose-to-nose, his gaze dropping to focus on my mouth. “That impressive, huh?”

“That bad.”

“Sounds like a challenge.” He grins before sliding his hand beneath my sweater and sealing his lips to mine.

Regulating my breathing is difficult enough when lost in kissing Archer, but with his palm splayed over my rib cage and his thumb tracing my bra’s underwire, it’s damn near impossible. I’m on pins and needles, anticipating his heat, but rather than copping the feel we’ve teased about, he skims the side of my breast and slips beneath my bra strap, running his fingers up and down the elastic as our kiss deepens. I long to steer him where I want his touch, but the wait is sweet torture.How patient can one man be?

With a sigh, Archer breaks our kiss. “In case I haven’t told you, I’m so thankful my boys jumped on my bed all those months ago, even if they did wake Clem up.”

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