The After of Us (Judge Me Not #4)(33)

“Oh, it is, is it?” I cross my arms and jut out my hip, making my short tee ride up even higher.

Will swallows hard, and I am eternally grateful for hot summer nights and the need for barely-there sleepwear.

He has to look away, and the raw emotion in his tone is clear when he says, “The truth is I came over here tonight to ask you for a second chance.”

“A second chance?”

“Yes, with us. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I truly believe we should give this thing between us a real shot. Let’s see where we can go with this. What do you say?”

He’s so gorgeous, and the sincerity in his voice is endearing. I can’t in good conscience keep up my charade of not caring.

“I’d like that, Will,” I softly admit. I take a step toward him and add, “Does this mean you’re staying?”

Tearing his gaze away from my body, he says gruffly, “Yeah, it looks like I’ll be hanging around for quite some time.”

“Well, that’s good for Lily.” And for me, I think, but don’t add.

He glances at me, but quickly looks away. “It is,” he says.

The sexual tension between us is unfathomable. Will staying in Harmony Creek is a game-changer. It’s that second chance I wanted, an opportunity to do things differently with him.

Go for it, every fiber in my being prods.

Will rakes his fingers through his hair, mussing it up further. It’s grown since he first came to Harmony Creek, and I like it all tousled as it is. It gives him a more carefree vibe, making him seem, well, more him.

I chew at my bottom lip, contemplating. Will always looks amazing, but tonight he’s working something more than his gorgeous face and hot body.

What, though? What’s different?

Suddenly, I realize what it is. Will is unburdened and, dare I say, happy. He clearly searched his heart and made the right decision, for Lily and for himself. This unmistakable vibe makes me want to go to him, to somehow share in this palpable joy. And why shouldn’t I? What I told Missy is true—I’m done holding back. I want Will, in every way.

And since he’s staying…

With a raised brow, I coyly ask. “Do you have anywhere you need to be? Like, are there any other girls you have to deliver this good news to?”

Will laughs. “No other girls, I swear.”

“Well, that’s a promising start.”

He closes the gap between us and wrapping his arms around me, he murmurs, “This is what I call a promising start.”

And, finally, finally, finally, his lips crash into mine.





Will



We’re starting something here, and we both know it. The burn between us that’s been simmering since I returned, a burn that ignited that long-ago night when I failed to kiss Emma, has finally boiled over.

And neither of us has the power to stop it. Not anymore.

With my hands wrapped in Emma’s shiny raven hair, my lips find hers.

Finally.

She tastes like cherries and vanilla and, f*ck, this may be the best first kiss ever. I think for her too, based on her enthusiasm.

She parts my lips and my tongue finds hers, both of us wanting more, more, more.

“We should slow down,” she gasps when we come up for air.

“Yeah,” I agree.

But when our eyes meet, what little resolve we may have had goes straight out the window.

Three more minutes of non-stop kissing, and I am backing her toward the sofa.

“Not here,” she gasps between kisses.

“Okay.” It takes all I have to pull back. “Where, then?”

“In there.” She points toward what I assume is her bedroom, and then our mouths are on each other once more.

I am starving for this woman.

Somehow, we make it to her bed. And then my hands are up that damn cropped tee that’s been taunting me since I arrived at her apartment.

I sigh, “Emma,” as I fondle her perfect, palm-sized breasts.

She is soft and warm, and I want her like nothing else. And when I feel her tugging down the zipper of my jeans, I know this is it. There will be no going back.

For a brief few seconds, I consider whether we should stop. I’m sure sex means a lot to a girl like Emma. But when her hand wraps around my bare cock, it’s too late.

I… am… gone.





Emma



Is this is a mistake? I don’t know. The way Will kisses me sure doesn’t feel like a mistake. I want him, and that’s all I care about right now.

In my bedroom, I make my intentions clear. I have Will gasping and falling back on the bed when I start sliding his jeans down his legs. He helps me get them to his ankles, and I quickly get to work on his length. First with my hands, and then with my mouth.

“Fuck, Emma,” I hear him say from above me.

I know he’s watching, so I flip my hair over my shoulder so he can see everything. When he’s practically throbbing, I release him and move up his body, sliding his tee along his smooth chest as I go, kissing every inch of newly exposed skin.

Will shudders in delight, but then he sits up quickly and pulls his shirt over his head. Two seconds later, his jeans and boxer briefs join the tee on the floor, and this glorious man is naked in my bed.

“Wow, Will.”