Page 5 of Wicked William

Chapter Three

Maisy Kincaid

William looks at melike I’m crazy. Which is not that much different from the way he’s looked at me since I got here.

I think I’ll hold back the information that he’s going to be my lover. At least for a little longer. He’s pretty stodgy.

Handsome as fuck. But stodgy.

I really want those big hands on me. I know just how they feel. Not smooth or soft, not this big man who spends so much time working with wood. No, he’s got rough hands that could easily grip my hips, hold me down, and make me beg for more.

But I need to be patient. I can’t just jump into bed with him right away. He’s got to come around to it a little more slowly.

That’s okay. There’s nothing about William Duke that isn’t worth the wait.

“Don’t you think it’s a little dangerous for a young woman to just move into a stranger’s house?”

He raises a valid point. I know it’s risky, but I have no other choice. The vision wasn’t clear, like my mom’s accident. I don’t know what will happen. Where or even when. But the intent was clear—I needed to find William and stay with him. To prevent it.

A chance I was never given with my mom.

“I understand your concern,” I say, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “But I trust you.”

He runs a hand through his hair. “Why the fuck do you trust me? You don’t even know me.”

I shrug. “Fine. I don’t trust you. I trust myself. I trust my intuition.”

“How do your parents let you out of the house?”

I feel a pang in my chest at the mention of my parents. They’re both gone now, and I’ve been on my own for a while. But I don’t want to burden William with my sob story.

“I’m an adult,” I say simply, avoiding eye contact. “I can make my own decisions.”

William stares at me for a long moment before sighing and rubbing his eyes. “I’m going regret this, but fine. You can stay. Temporarily.”

I smile, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. “Thank you, William. I won’t let you down.”

He grunts in response and leads me into the guest room, and it’s exactly how I saw it. I turn to smile at him.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he says. “Just like your vision. I know.”

I loop my arms around his neck and hug him. “Thank you for letting me stay here. You won’t regret it, I promise.”

William stiffens at my touch, but then relaxes into the embrace. I can feel his body heat, his heart beating against mine. I know he’s feeling something, too.

As I pull away, he looks at me with a mix of confusion and desire. I can tell he’s trying to fight it, but the attraction is there. He hasn’t let go of me, for one thing.

“How old are you, Maisy?”

---