Page 86 of Whisper Sweet Nothings
On my way.
Hell, I’d do anything she asked. We just got along. Winnie Smith had somehow become my best friend over the last few months.
My best friend who I was painfully attracted to.
“Hey, Lucy,” I said as I pulled my coat on. “I’m heading out early. I’ve got some errands to run.”
“All right, boss. I’ll see you later. Tell Winnie I hope she has the best birthday,” she called after me, because everyone here adored her. She baked treats for my office once a week, and she’d stop by and see everyone.
Lucy had found out her pen name, and now she was reading her books as well.
“Will do.” I held a hand over my head, anxious to get home.
I missed this woman when I wasn’t with her.
The lines were graying, but I just didn’t give a shit about fighting it anymore.
I stopped by Emilia’s flower shop and grabbed Winnie a bouquet of pink roses, because I knew they were her favorite, and then I drove the short distance home and pulled into the garage.
When I stepped in the house, I called out her name, and I chuckled when I saw the swear jar on the counter. I could see the twenty-dollar bill through the glass that my cousin Bridger had tossed in there when he’d said “shit” three times the other night when he and Emilia had stopped by.
He’d decided to prepay in advance, as he knew he’d go through his twenty bucks fairly quickly.
“Hey,” she said as she came around the corner. She was wearing a pink sweater with red hearts on it and a pair of baggy jeans. The front of her hair was pulled away from her face, and I noticed that the bow I’d wrapped around her pastry this morning was tied in her hair. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Yeah? Me too.” I moved toward her. “Happy birthday. Melody made me promise not to give you your gift until dinner tonight.”
I wanted to say “Happy Valentine’s Day,” but my nerves got the best of me. Winnie was the woman in my life, but nobody knew it. Nobody but she and I. But I felt like I should be buying her flowers for Valentine’s Day, so that’s what these were.
“These are gorgeous. Thank you. You did not need to do that. Nor did you need to get me a gift.”
“Of course we did. It’s your big day.”
“That’s true, and you said I should always voice what I want, right?” she asked as she took the flowers from me and grabbed a vase from the cabinet and filled it with water.
“Yes. Absolutely. What’s going on?” I leaned over the kitchen island as she placed the stems in the water.
“Well, remember I said that it had been a while since I’d had sex?” She set the vase down and looked me right in the eyes. Her golden honey-brown gaze locked with mine.
“Yes.” I adjusted myself because just the mention of it had me getting hard.
Who was I kidding? Every time I was with her, I was hard as steel.
“Well, today is officially two years. Two years since I’ve had sex.” She moved around the counter, closer to me, and crossed her arms over her chest. “I know you don’t want to cross certain lines, but I do, Archer. I don’t want to hold back any more. And it doesn’t have to mean anything. It can just be sex, if that’s what we need it to be.”
She’d barely finished the sentence before I rushed her.
I’d been waiting for her to say the words.
I fucking wanted this woman in a way I couldn’t explain.
My mouth was on hers, and I lifted her off the ground, her legs wrapping around my waist.
I was a man unhinged now.
I carried her down the hall, our lips never losing contact, as I kicked the door closed behind me. I pressed her against the door before letting her feet drop to the ground.
I pulled my mouth from hers, kissing my way down her neck before dropping to my knees. She wasn’t wearing shoes, and I looked up at her as I unbuttoned her jeans and pulled down the zipper. I slid the denim down her legs, and she lifted each foot for me to pull them free. I reached for the band of her pink lace panties, glancing up at her. Her breaths were coming fast now, and she nodded.
