Page 78 of The Archer and his Rosebud

“Wait,” Archer mumbles against my lips, kissing me once, twice before pulling away. “Let me turn on the light.”

His warmth leaves me, and my eyes follow his outline to the wall where with aclick,one light illuminates our room. The man crossing the room continues to surprise me. Red and white roses fill vases on every surface, and petals cover our king bed. The jacuzzi tub he mentioned—a selling point for staying here tonight, for sure!—is partially open to the bedroom, while a gas fireplace wall hides the shower area.

“And the fireplace.” He flips a switch, and orange flames glow behind his back.

“Wow.” I steal a moment to absorb every detail of this night. Candles line the half wall around the marble bathtub. “What would you have done if I agreed to only come up here for sleep?”

Wetting his lips, Archer slips his hands into his pant pockets with a nonchalant shrug. “I would have spent the first night of this new year holding you in my arms and thanking God for putting you in my life.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and take my time crossing to stand before him. “You…” My fingers walk up his chest and under the neck of his jacket, pushing the material over his shoulders and down his arms. “Are the most…” I toss his jacket toward a chair and tug on his tie’s knot. “Amazing man I’ve ever known, Archer Thomas.”

His head shakes as his fingers join mine untucking and unbuttoning his dress shirt. “Not amazing, just falling in love.”

I inhale an unsteady breath, my fingers pausing in the act of pushing a button through a hole. Archer chuckles and covers my hands with his.

“Every moment I spend with you, Willa, leads me to believe I could be happy to spend a thousand more just like them. Your strength, your heart, your humor, and your thoughts. I appreciate everything I’ve learned about you, and I want to know everything I don’t. I love your daughter, Will.” He kisses my fingertips before flattening my hands to his chest. “I hope you’ll let me be in love with you someday, too.”

My tears blur his handsome face. “I don’t know what to say.” My head falls forward as I choke on a laugh. This is too much, too real. “God, Archer, you’re a man speaking of your feelings in words I can actually understand.” I lift my face to his, and Archer removes a curl sticking to my lips. “I’m not sure I’m equipped to deal with adult conversations like this.”

Heat burns my cheeks, and my face must be the shade of a summer tomato, which turns my skin hotter knowing Archer has proof of my embarrassment. Instead of laughing, he resumes unbuttoning his shirt, removing the crisp material when he’s done, all while holding my gaze.

Reaching into my hair, he pulls pins from my updo and says, “Yes, you are. All you have to do is tell me how you feel.”

How I feel?How do you feel, Willa? How do you feel?He removes another pin and hair brushes my shoulder as I let my thoughts loose. “I feel the same as you. You’ve become my best friend. The one person, besides Clem, I most look forward to seeing each morning. The person I want to see last before I close my eyes. I…”I love youpops into my brain, but that’s ridiculous.Isn’t it?“I’m falling for you, too.”

A veil lifts from his face like he was shadowing his emotions and only now feels able to show them fully. The flirtatious smile, the twinkle in his eyes, the ease with which he looks at me. Archer sighs and shoves his hands into my hair, tugging me onto my toes and kissing me. “You know what I want?” he asks against my lips.

My nails dig into the skin beneath his undershirt as I keep my balance, his fingers anchored in my hair so tightly I can’t shake my head.

“I want to lay you down on those roses and make you truly mine, then I want to fill that tub up and relax with you in a mountain of bubbles drinking champagne until our skin is wrinkled before I make love to you again as the sun rises.”

My hands move to his belt. “And you’ll watch Clem tomorrow while I’m napping?” I slide the leather from the buckle with aswish.“You know, since you’ll be keeping me up all night.”

Smiling, he rests his forehead against mine. “It would be my pleasure.”

I can’t help but giggle. “I hope the pleasure will be mine.”

His smile falls, and as quick as a whip, he spins me against his back, one arm locked around my hips, while his free hand slips between the high slit of my skirt, his fingers rising up my thigh to my lace covered center. “Don’t worry, gorgeous. It will be.”

My eyes close as he presses his thumb against me and with a moan, I lose myself to the man I’ve fallen in love with.

ChapterTwenty-Four

WILLA

A whirlwind.That’s what life is since Archer and I officially started dating.

Spring semester doesn’t begin until January seventeenth, so I keep soaking up all the extra time with Clem. All the hours I’ve missed these last six months. With my upcoming courses at UVM being in the morning, I’ve taken on assisting in after-school classes at the studio for the remainder of the dance season. Even though Ruby and the girls leave the offer open to take care of Clem at the studio, Archer insists I drop her off at his place since he doesn’t get next door neighbor privileges anymore.

On the afternoons he watches her, he meets me at my apartment when I’m finished teaching. On days when I don’t teach, he makes his way over as soon as he’s done working. Sometimes he brings his laptop with him before the work hours are over because hejust can’t stay away—his words. We might not live close, but since I returned to the apartment on the first, there hasn’t been a day without him. I’m not sure what I was so worried about. Granted, today’s only the fourth.

In the evening, he shows up with two grocery bags full of ingredients to make dinner, and since I was planning on grilled cheese and tomato soup, I gladly accept his offer of cashew chicken from scratch. Because,hello. Having his cooking ability around is something I don’t think I’ll ever take for granted. I enjoy growing my skills by cooking for him, but I love being cooked for more.

Since our night together at Hotel Vermont, we can’t get enough of each other. Even as he cooks, I remain in the kitchen to be close, grazing my body against his every chance as I help him prep. I should be studying while I have his help, but instead, I’m counting down the hours until Clem goes down for the night. I need a second bedroom.

Every surface in my apartment has seen action this week, not that I’m complaining. The man is in his prime, but occasionally a bed would be nice. Things would be easier if I’d stay at Archer’s, but typical me, I’m determined to be independent. Especially since I’ve yet to actually be on my own. From almost day one, I’ve had Archer—which has been a tender mercy—but for myself, I want to know I can do it on my own. I don’t need a man to take care of Clem and me. Yes, he makes things easier, but I chose to have her. I chose this life for us, and I want to be able to stand on my two feet, too. Or at least know that I’m capable.

As we’re finishing up the dishes, I lift on my tip-toes and press a kiss to his jawline, “Thank you for dinner. That one’s going on rotation.”

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